


Aumakua

by gotulloch



Series: Kokua Ko'u Hoaloha Verse [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-18
Updated: 2012-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 05:16:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotulloch/pseuds/gotulloch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve, Danny and Grace are taking a trip to Kauai to see the Napali Coast.  What possible trouble could they find?  Ask Steve's 'Aumakua and you'll find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Huaka'i (Trip)

**Author's Note:**

> I am using the concept of 'Aumakua which was brought up in Episode 1x3 Malama Ka Aina. I thought Steve and Danny being helped by an 'Aumakua would be interesting. I did some research about 'Aumakua and hope that I am doing justice to this ancient belief. 
> 
> Spoilers for episode 1x3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the story.

Danny stood with Grace and Steve looking at the helicopter that was being prepared for them. He didn’t know how Steve had talked him into taking this trip, especially since Steve was going to be the pilot. He looked at Grace, and remembered how. Grace had wanted to see the Napali Coast which her class had studied near the end of the school year. Grace had talked almost non-stop about all the different things that can be seen there.

One evening Steve had listened as Grace talked about the Napali Coast again. He had an indulgent smile as he listened to the avid commentary Grace was giving. After Grace had gone to bed Danny became worried, Steve had that, ‘I have a plan’ face which usually meant trouble for Danny. He was right; the difference was that the plan didn’t involve bullets and explosions this time. Steve’s plan involved a friend who would fly them to Kauai where the three would stay for a couple of nights so they could take both an aerial and boat tour of the Napali Coast. Then they would be camping at the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. Danny agreed for two reasons, one, they could drive to the camp, and two, Steve did know what he was doing despite anything he said to be contrary. Well, Grace also used the puppy dog eyes and Danny just can’t say no to those. The cost would be minimal since Steve’s friend flew to Kauai every other day making deliveries and picking up merchandise. The ride would be a little crowded but bearable since it was free. Chin and Kono knew the owner of a Bed and Breakfast in Koloa. Steve and Danny received a nice discount on a two bedroom suite. The only real cost was the two tours which Steve insisted on paying for most of it since it was his idea. Between being a SEAL and in Navel Intelligence, read covert ops, Steve had been paid very well, and invested wisely. He had never had anyone to spend the money on before and wanted to treat his family. The cost for the aerial tour was minimal, since Steve would be doing the flying. His friend knew the owner of Kauai Air Tours and arranged for them to rent a chopper to Steve.

Danny focused on Grace again who was bouncing she was so excited as well as asking Steve lots of questions about helicopters, Steve’s ability to fly one, how hard it was to learn and more. Danny smiled indulgently at his daughter while he continued being impressed with Steve’s patience in answering her many questions thoroughly at a level that she could understand. He focused on the conversation.

Steve was speaking as he looked from Grace to the helicopter. “I think they’re almost ready for us. I hope you packed everything I told you in your backpack.”

“I did ΄Anakala Steve. I have food, water, a flashlight and the special knife you gave me. Why do we need all of this stuff if it’s just a tour?” Danny wanted to know that too.

Steve crouched down so that he could look Grace in the eye. “Well, Leia, I was always taught to be prepared for anything when I was a SEAL. There’s always a chance that something bad can happen. That doesn’t mean that I believe anything will happen, but it’s better to be prepared than caught short. Also, the place we are going to have our picnic requires a small hike. Having the bags packed and ready to go makes things much more efficient. That reminds me let me take a look at your bag to make sure that it’s properly balanced. A balanced bag makes it easier and less stressful to carry.” 

Grace smiled satisfied with the answer watching him rearrange her bag quickly and efficiently. “What’s in your bag ΄Anakala Steve?”

“I have food, water, my own knife, water purifying tablets, some MRI’s, some space blankets and a first-aid kit.” He reached behind his bag, grabbing another one to hand it to Danny. “I made a bag for Danno too so he wouldn’t feel left out.”

Danny took the bag glaring at his partner while Grace giggled. “Thanks Steve, you’re a pal.”

Steve smiled; he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to see one of the ground crew headed their way. “Well, looks like it’s time to go.”

The man introduced himself as he offered Steve his hand. “Aloha, I’m Kekipi Chee. The helicopter is ready to go when you are; I just need to see your pilot’s license please.”

Steve shook his hand before pulling out his license. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett; this is my partner, Detective Danny Williams and his daughter Grace. Here's my license and a copy of the route we will be taking.” 

Mr. Chee shook both their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I will be right back; I just need to make a copy of your license Commander.”

“Of course, I understand.” Steve looked at Grace and Danny. “I think it would be a good idea to use the facilities here before we go. We’ll be in the chopper for more than an hour. I’ll wait while the two of you go, than I can go. I still need to get my license back anyway.” 

Danny appreciated Steve’s ruse to make sure that Grace wasn’t left alone waiting for the two men to finish in the restroom. “You heard the man, Monkey; let’s go before he leaves us behind.”

Grace looked up at Steve curiously. “I would never leave you behind Gracie. Danny on the other hand is another matter.” He winked at her.

She giggled. The first time the three of them had spent together, Grace didn’t know how to take the men’s interaction, now she found it funny. “Come on Dad. I wouldn’t want him to leave you behind while we had all the fun.” 

Danny sputtered before pointing a finger at Steve. “This is your entire fault. You have turned my own daughter against me.” He then took a giggling Grace’s hand heading for the facilities, leaving a laughing Steve behind.

Mr. Chee rejoined Steve as Danny and Grace walked off. “Here is your license back Commander. Your friend Makani has good things to say about you. We’ve also heard about the Five-0 task force here on our humble island.”

“I’m not sure if I should be concerned about what Makani said or not.” The two men smiled. Steve looked to the restrooms. “I have a good team to work with every day. They help make Five-0 the success it is today.”

Chee nodded. “I hear that. I appreciate you giving us your business.”

Steve noticed that Danny was headed his way. “My pleasure. Grace is looking forward to the flight. Well, I better follow their example and use the restrooms before we go.”

“Kay den.” 

Soon the three travelers had stowed their gear in the helicopter and Steve was checking to make sure that Danny and Grace were properly secured. Grace was sitting in the front seat next to Steve with Danny in the back, Danny of course and argued against this but Grace had been persistent and since there was no copilot the seat was empty. She wanted a better view of the scenery so her ΄Anakala Steve could point out things to her easier. The doting father gave in and allowed it trusting Steve to take care of his daughter. Once Steve was satisfied all were buckled in properly he went through a pre-flight check before giving the signal that he was ready to take off. The ground crew acknowledged the signal and returned it, with that permission Steve took off.

"How long will it take us to get to Napali Coast ΄Anakala Steve?" Grace asked as she looked all around her in wonder.

Steve's brow was furrowed while he tried to remember that detail. "I think about 20 to 30 minutes Gracie. I'll let you know once we get there don’t worry. There's plenty of scenery to see before we get there so enjoy it."

"Danno look there's a double rainbow to our right."

Danny looked in the direction his daughter indicated. "I see that Monkey. If you look at the bigger rainbow and follow it, I think you can see the pot of gold at the end."

Steve stopped the helicopter and hovered so that Grace could look closer. "I see it daddy I see it. Can you see it ΄Anakala Steve?"

Steve had spotted that as well but didn't say anything waiting for Grace to find it. "I see it Leia. If you really like rainbows we should go to Manao Valley sometime, its nickname is the Valley of Rainbows. It's not that far from Waikiki."

Grace excitedly turned to Steve. "Really ‘Anakala Steve? You think we can go there soon?"

Steve headed them towards the destination again as he answered. "Your Dad and I can talk about it Leia." He briefly looked back to see Danny’s scowling face and smirked. "Maybe it's something that we can do with Chin and Kono too.”

“Uncle Steve and I will talk about it Monkey.” Danny interjected knowing that he would give in. Besides it was always nice doing something with the whole team.

A short time later Steve spoke. “We are at the beginning of Napali Coast Gracie. You can see the cliffs to our right from here.” Grace and Danny were looking at the mountains in awe. Even Danny was impressed with their beauty. Steve continued to point out and name what he could remember of the impressive scenery. 

They were headed towards the Kilauea Lighthouse. About halfway to the lighthouse, Steve’s attention was caught by a Pueo, a native short eared owl. He pointed it out to Grace. “Grace, look to the front and down towards the trees. You will see a Pueo, a native owl flying above the trees.”

“Why is it flying during the day ΄Anakala Steve? I thought owls only came out at night.”

“Except for this breed of owl, all other owls do come out at night, the Pueo are diurnal, meaning they hunt during the day.”

Danny snorted. “Figures, even owls act odd in Hawaii.” Steve smirked at Danny’s comment.

As the three watched the owl it seemed to fly up towards them and then towards a small clearing. Steve immediately became concerned since this was not normal behavior for the owl; when the owl repeated the flight pattern, Steve swore it looked right at him. The last time an animal acted in such an odd manner one of his units had been in extreme danger. He’d remembered the Hawaiian belief in a person’s 'Aumakua he had learned as a kid. So to be safe he had sent out a couple of scouts while the rest changed direction slightly. If he hadn’t, his unit would have walked into a deadly ambush. Remembering the incident he changed course and began a slow decent as a precaution.

“What are you doing Steve? I don’t think we were supposed to get too close to the trees.” Danny asked trying to mask his worry.

He didn’t want to worry Grace, but he wasn’t going to lie either. “Something’s not right Danny. That owl is behaving very oddly.”

The crackling of the radio interrupted Steve. "Commander McGarrett, do you read me? Over."

"I read you. Who is this? Over."

"I think that I’ll remain anonymous Commander. Unfortunately for you, I do know who you are and about that task force you command. I'd like to expand my business into Hawaii, but I don't think it's a very good idea while you're still around. So I've arranged for you and your passengers to have a little accident. Pity about the girl, I don't like killing children unnecessarily. Unfortunately she’s traveling with you and your partner Detective Williams." "What kind of accident?" As soon as Steve had heard the threat he started to descend at an even faster rate while maneuvering the chopper towards the small clearing, it would be a tight fit. Still, it was better than crashing into the trees.

"I suppose it can’t hurt to tell you, it is far too late to do anything to stop it. I've arranged for a little device to be added to the helicopter that will shut the motor off causing you to crash." The mystery man answered.

Steve reached out and clasped Gracie's hand briefly in reassurance as they approached the clearing. They were close enough to the ground that the landing would be hard but survivable. "So what kind of business do you think you're going to be able to open up in Hawaii after you kill my partner and me?"

There was a short bout of laughter. "Don't think you can delay the inevitable commander. I just thought you should know why you were dying before you did. Oh yes, the radio won't work either so don't bother trying to call for help. Goodbye Commander."

The radio shut off just as the helicopter motor stuttered and stopped. Steve struggled with the controls as he tried to control the descent. "Hang on Danny and Gracie; I'm going to do my best to control the remaining descent of the helicopter. The chopper itself will spin as it descends. We're not too far from the ground so the landing will be hard but survivable. When we land, we need to get out of the chopper and as far away from it as possible. Danny, try and secure all three bags together so you can grab them and run." Steve concentrated on getting the chopper down as safely as possible, while Danny worked on the bags. Steve watched the ground as the chopper spun hoping to keep from hitting any trees if he could, if he couldn’t avoid it he hoped he could hit the tree with the tail of the helicopter.

  


**TBC**


	2. Ho'oku'i (Crash)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chopper is going down. What happens to Steve, Danny and Grace? Read and find out. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 and characters belong to CBS, only the story is mine. Forgot to put this in last chapter. It's true for the whole story so I'm not going to repeat this over and over again.
> 
> My thanks to all who have read, left comments and kudos for my story. You rock!

With a jolt, crunch of metal, and breaking glass the helicopter hit the ground causing the landing gear to crumple tilting the chopper to the side. It took a few minutes after the crash for Steve to regain his senses and try to catalogue any major injuries that would keep him from walking quickly. Once he found that he was only bruised he undid his harness as he looked around to determine the state of Grace, Danny and the chopper. “Let’s get out of this chopper now, we can check for injuries later. Grace you’ll have to come out my side.”

Grace looked up at him, tears rolling down her face as Steve helped her undue her harness. “O-okay ΄Anakala Steve.” She says shakily. Once she was free Steve turned and opened his door and climbed out quickly Noting Danny doing the same. As soon as he turned around Grace was there. He grabbed her to his chest as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, and he started for the nearby trees at a run, Danny hot on his heels. They made it about 20-30 feet before an explosion knocked them to the ground. Steve did his best to turn so he took the brunt of the fall then rolled so that he could protect Grace from any falling debris. 

Once the sound of falling debris stopped Steve lifted up his head to check to be sure that it was over. Satisfied, he sat up with Grace in his arms and started to check her for injuries. “Are you okay Leia?”

She sniffed. “My head hurts here.” She pointed to her forehead, then her arm. “My arm hurts too. Daddy, are you okay?” Grace asked as she turned to look at Danny 

Steve looked at Danny wanting to know answer too. He noticed the blood on his friends face, but didn’t say anything yet.

Danny groaned. “Yeah I think so; I bumped my head when we crashed. Other than that I seem okay.”

Steve nodded at Danny as he grabbed his bag and handed it to him. “Okay Danny. I’m going to finish checking Grace; meanwhile can you get the first-aid kit out. You need to put some gauze on your right temple, it’s bleeding. Now, let me have a look Grace.” 

While Steve was checking Grace’s head Danny found the first-aid kit, pulling out some gauze and held it to his temple. He would have preferred to just wait and watch as Steve tended to Grace, but knew his partner would take good care of his daughter. Once he placed the gauze on his head, he realized that Steve hadn’t told them about his condition. “What about you Steve? Are you okay?”

Steve finished his inspection of Grace. "Just battered and bruised Danny. Grace doesn’t have a concussion, just a couple of cuts. I’ll have them cleaned up and bandaged in no time.” Danny held out the first aid kit for Steve, to make his work easier. Steve quickly and efficiently cleaned and bandaged Grace’s cuts. Once he was done he gave her a quick smile and hug before handing her over to Danny.

Danny sighed in relief reaching for his daughter. He hugged her tightly, mindful of her cuts and bruises. “Thank God you’re okay Monkey.” He looked at Steve and mouthed Thank you.

Steve nodded smiling while giving Danny another look checking for injuries other than the head wound. “Alright, time to look at that head wound Danny." Steve grabbed the first aid kit, pulling out some gloves, since it was bleeding freely.

Grace pulled back sniffing to look at her father so she could get a good look at him. "It sure is bleeding. Does it hurt a lot Danno?”

“It hurts some Monkey, but not too bad.” He told her honestly.

Steve turned back to the two Williams with his supplies. "I'm sure it's nothing Leia. Head wounds always bleed a lot, even when they’re not serious. Besides your Danno has a hard head. I need you to get off your dad's lap while I check this wound. I could use your help to hold the first aid kit for me while I take care of your dad."

Grace crawled off Danny's lap and grabbed the first aid kit holding it for Steve. "Do you want me to hand you what you need? Just tell me what you want and if I know what it is I can give it to you otherwise you can point it out to me."

Steve smiled at her. "I'd like the help Gracie, thank you." Steve looked at the wound carefully after putting on the gloves. "Gracie, I’m going to need a bottle of water as well as another square of gauze." Grace handed him what he asked for. She watched him as he wet the gauze with some water and clean Danny's wound carefully. "Could you hold open the bag I used to through away the stuff I used on you?” He dropped the used gauze into the bag. “I'll need a new square of gauze, the special tape for securing gauze and the antibacterial cream." She pulled out another package of gauze and looked for the tape. It didn’t take her long to find it. She also picked up the antibacterial cream he had used on her and gave it to him. Steve applied the cream before he carefully bandaged the wound. "There all done. Thanks for your help Gracie."

Grace beamed at him tears forgotten. "You're welcome ΄Anakala Steve." 

Danny was impressed. Grace seemed so calm now, despite the situation. He realized that Steve had asked for her help to get her mind off the crash. “Now that everyone has been checked out, how are we going to get out of here?”

Grace spoke before Steve could. “What about ΄Anakala Steve? You didn’t check him for injuries Danno.”

“Well, Grace, I checked myself briefly after landing. I’m pretty sure that I’m fine. But I’ll let Danny check me if it’ll make you feel better.” Steve reassured Grace. Under the circumstances he didn't think his pattened ‘I’m fine’ would satisfy Grace. 

She nodded with a worried frown. 

So Steve allowed Danny to check the bump on his head and pointed out the bruises he knew he had. He did have a couple of cuts, he had thought were bruises. “Well, it looks like you have a couple of cuts that you thought were bruises Steve. I bet Grace could take care of them for you.” The cuts were minor, but should be cleaned and covered. Since they were minor, Grace could take care of them.

Grace beamed at being asked to take care of Steve. “Can I? Danno has shown me how to use band-aids.”

Steve smiled at Grace. “Of course you can. Danno can show you where they are and help you if you really need it, but I doubt you will.”

Danny showed Grace where each cut was and let her do the work herself. All he did was hold Steve’s shirt out of the way. Danny and Steve tried not to laugh; Grace was so focused she didn’t realize that she had her tongue poking out slightly.

Grace smiled and hugged Steve when she was finished. “All done! Did I put them on right?”

He returned her hug, kissing her on the forehead. “Thank you Leia, you did a great job. Now let me answer your dad’s question.” Steve reached into his bag again and pulled out a phone. “My satellite phone will allow us to contact Chin and Kono.” Steve hesitated.

“What’s with the face? What are you waiting for Steve? Get on that phone and get us out of here.” Danny ranted.

Steve looked away from Danny to speak to Grace. “Gracie, would you excuse your dad and me? We need to talk in private.” He noticed her hesitation, and spoke to her reassuringly. “Don’t worry Grace we’ll tell you what’s going on, we just need to figure it out and we may get a bit loud. You know how your Danno gets.” He whispered load enough for Danny to hear. 

She giggled. “Okay ΄Anakala Steve. I’ll sit right over there. You can still see me and I won’t hear you fight.” 

Once Grace was sitting down Steve looked at Danny seriously. “Have you forgotten that someone tried to kill us Danny?” He held up his hand forestalling Danny’s answer. “Rhetorical question. Right now that person thinks that we’re dead. It might be best to let him think that for now. We can contact Chin and Kono and let them know we’re okay and have them do some discreet investigation before we reappear. We have enough food and water to last for a couple of days, and I’m sure that we can find plenty of fruit and nuts to eat.”

Danny interrupted arms flailing in agitation. “Are you out of your mind? Wait, don’t answer that, I know you’re out of your mind. We are NOT staying here any longer than necessary. We can do more good by helping Chin and Kono rather than staying here. Besides I won’t have my daughter sleeping on the ground without a tent. The ground is crawling with bugs and snakes, she is a little girl, not a SEAL recruit!” 

Steve interrupted voice low and furious. “Do you really think that I would use this as some twisted way to recruit Grace? You know, the little girl I think of as a niece?!? That hurts. I'm trying to keep her safe.” Steve took a deep breath to calm down donning his stoic face; he didn’t want to say something he would later regret. “As long as the perp. thinks we’re dead, Grace will be safe. I would like to avoid a repeat of that.” Steve pointed to the smoking helicopter. “Our saboteur obviously has contacts here on the island, so would know very quickly that he failed and might try again before we can get back to Honolulu. If we stay dead, I can get us out quietly. So there’s no tent, we can fix up an area to sleep that will be comfortable. We’ll probably have to hike to the coast but I think that it’s the best way to keep Grace safe and blindside our would be killer.” He turned away from Danny trying to bury the hurt Danny’s words caused. He really hadn’t wanted to fight in front of Grace, but dammit that hurt.

Danny’s practical side had finally gained control over the scared and freaked out father. He reflected on what he said to Steve, and Steve’s answer. It made him feel like a heel, especially when he remembered that Steve admitted the words hurt. He knew that Steve would protect his daughter without hesitation. So why did he attack Steve? Danny looked at the ground realizing that he was using Steve as an outlet for his fear and anger instead of saving it for the responsible party. 

Once Steve had himself under control he turned around to finish the discussion with Danny. Before he could continue Danny spoke looking ashamed. “I’m sorry Steve; I was way out of line. I get a little crazy when something threatens Grace. I’m angry that someone tried to kill us, and I’m taking it out on the wrong person. You don’t deserve it, especially not from me. Your abilities as a pilot allowed us to walk away from a helicopter crash relatively unscathed. I knew that you would take care of Grace when the chopper crashed, if I didn’t, the bags would be burning with the chopper. I do know how much you love my daughter. Can you forgive me for being an irrational idiot?”

Steve studied Danny for a moment. He knew that Danny ranted to blow off steam. He thought about the recent custody battle which had really shaken his friend, increasing his fear of losing Grace. It was one of the reasons he helped plan this trip, he had hoped to help Danny relax and have some family time with Grace. He took a deep breath dropping the stoic mask. “Forgiven. I know that recent events have had you more on edge than normal. Now do you want to hear my plan?”

Danny smiled gratefully before his look turned wary. “You know, I’m normally leery about your plans because they usually end with us being shot at or things being blown up. However, this is more your bailiwick than mine; so let me hear it. Then I can explain it to Grace.”

Steve nodded. “As long as this idiot thinks we’re dead he is more likely to get cocky and make more mistakes. He of course has already made several mistakes. His first mistake; he tried to kill us while we have Grace. His second mistake was in underestimating Chin and Kono who will work twice as hard to find this guy. As for us, we will hike towards the coast. I’ll have to check the GPS and our map, but I think we’re a comfortable two day hike from the Napali Coast Wilderness Park. I’m not going to worry if it takes longer; we have plenty of food and water. If we run low it will be easy to gather more if needed on this island. We can get someone to pick us up at the park. I don’t want us to be anywhere near the chopper when search and rescue find it. Since they’ll have to dig through the wreckage, it will take longer to determine if there are any bodies. I can contact a couple of people that I know who like to take long fishing trips from time to time; they should be able to pick us up without creating any suspicion. Before you ask, the two young men are brothers and we grew up together. It doesn’t hurt that they owe me more than a few favors. Well, they owe my dad really, but I helped them out too before mom was killed. Once my friends have picked us up, we can arrange for Grace to be protected while we join the investigation.” He sighed. “I’m not sure what do to about Rachel. I’m afraid that if we have Chin let her know we are alright she won’t keep it a secret.” 

Danny considered Steve’s plan carefully before replying. “You know that might actually work.” Steve raised his eyebrow as Danny smiled. “You know that I trust you Steve, with my life, more importantly I trust you with Grace’s life. I agree about Rachel, no matter what we do, she’s gonna try and use this against me.” Danny sighed. “Let me talk to Grace and we can do what needs to be done.”

Steve smiled at Danny truly touched. “I’ll make the call to Chin while you talk to Gracie, okay?”

“Good idea partner.” Steve clapped Danny on the shoulder as he moved to talk to Grace. Danny joined Grace on the rock she was perched on. “I’m sorry that it was necessary to ask you to wait over here. I think that Uncle Steve knew I might react badly to his idea and didn’t want you to end up hearing your father make an idiot of myself.” Grace giggled. “He was right; I did react badly, and made an idiot of myself. We talked and we have a plan.”

Grace looked up at her father nodding. “I think I understand. I saw your hands waving in an angry manner. Did you get mad at ΄Anakala Steve? He had his I don’t have feelings face.”

Danny nodded sheepishly while being impressed with his daughter’s powers of observation. “Yeah I did, a little. Once I calmed down I apologized and we talked, so we’re okay. So do you want to hear our plan?”

Grace nodded. “Will we be staying here?”

“No, we will have to do some hiking. We want to fool the bad man into thinking he was successful. So Uncle Steve doesn’t want us to be here when the chopper is found. We’ll be okay. Uncle Steve was trained for this sort of thing and will make sure that we make it out okay.” Grace looked at her father trustingly. “I know ΄Anakala Steve will take care of us. He protected me today and made sure that we were both okay. What about mom? She’s going to think we’re dead.”

Danny hugged Grace, he wished he could save his daughter any hurt, but he was more concerned with keeping her alive. “I know you’re Mom is going to think we’re dead. Sadly, the way things are between me and your Mom, Steve is afraid she won’t keep our secret. So, even though we are going to tell Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono we’re okay, your mom is going to have to stay in the dark.” 

“If we don’t let Mom know I’m okay, she’s going to be sad.”

He pulled back to look at Grace’s sad face. “I don’t want to make your mom sad, but your safety is more important to me right now. I think that if she and I were getting along better, she would agree with me. Since I don’t know what she’ll do, we have to keep our secret.” He pulled her close kissing her forehead. “Now why don’t we see what Uncle Steve is doing? We want to be sure that he is staying out of trouble.”

Grace smiled. “Let’s go. Maybe ΄Anakala Steve needs some help.” 

Steve called Chin while Danny and Grace were talking.

_“Detective Kelly.” Chin answered._

“Hey, Chin. Don’t talk until you get to someplace where no one can hear you.” Steve spoke quickly ensuring that Chin did not say his name out loud. 

_“Okay, I’m in my office with the door shut. What’s up? Aren’t you, Danny and Grace supposed to be touring the Napali Coast?”_

Steve sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Yeah, we were. Someone sabotaged the helicopter and we crashed.”

_“WHAT! Is everyone alright?” Chin asked concerned._

“We’re fine, just some bumps and bruises. The guy is a new player in Hawaii, so I need you and Kono to quietly check into any new players who are looking to set up shop. The scumbag called us to tell us what was done to the chopper and that he did it to get rid of Five-0. Stupid move on his part, gave me time to get the chopper close to the ground before the engine stopped.”

_Chin snorted. “That was stupid, it’s not like you’re an inexperienced pilot. Kono and I’ll get right on it. I’ll also call search and rescue…”_

Steve interrupted. “Don’t call search and rescue. I want that scum to think we died in that crash for now. He must have someone here that works for him in order for the chopper to be sabotaged. The chopper blew shortly after we landed indicating that he didn’t want to risk any survivors. Since it’s always a possibility that a chopper can blow, I made sure that the three of us got off the chopper and ran just in case.”

_Chin sighed seeing the sense in Steve’s plan. “How will you get off the island?”_

“I have a couple of friends that I can contact who will pick us up without notifying authorities if I asked them. They owe me more than one favor. Just in case, Danny, Grace and I will hike some distance from the crash site and stay a couple of days before I arrange for pick up. Speaking of which, I should get going, I had arranged to rent the chopper for two hours and we should get on our way soon.”

_“Alright brah. I’ll tell Kono what’s going on and we’ll get to work. Call me tonight so that I know that you guys are okay. Are you calling me with your satellite phone?”_

“I am. Oh, one last thing. Don’t tell Rachel that we made it. I’m afraid that she won’t keep our survival a secret, not with the way things are between her and Danny.”

_Chin sighed. “You have a point. Do you want me to let the governor know?”_

“Yes. She can keep a secret. Thanks Chin.” 

_”Pamaika’i brah.”_

Once Steve hung up he started to remove any traces that they escaped from the chopper.

“΄Anakala Steve, what are you doing?” Grace asks curiously.

Steve looked up to see Grace and Danny watching him. “I’m trying to hide the fact that we made it out of the helicopter. This will help us maintain the illusion that we didn’t make it.” He continued his work.

“Is there anything we can do to help ΄Anakala Steve?”

“You and your dad can put your backpacks on. I’m almost done here. Then we’ll do some hiking. I’ll show you how to hide our route so you can help as we go.” Steve knew that keeping busy was the best way not to think about the crash or their circumstances though he did expect some kind of reaction from her at some point today. 

Grace smiled. “I won’t let you down ΄Anakala Steve.”

Steve smiled at her. “I know you won’t Gracie. You’re an akamai a me koa keiki.” She beamed as she went to get her backpack. Danny nodded in acknowledgement of Steve’s ploy to help Grace cope and went to the packs with his daughter. While Steve finished up in the clearing Danny helped Grace put on her pack, than his own. Steve joined them and checked the straps on both Williams before donning his own pack and securing it. Steve double checked the GPS before starting their hike.

  


**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akamai: smart  
> A me: and before a noun  
> Koa: brave  
> Keiki: child  
> Pamaika’i brah: good luck


	3. Kolokolo Mahele ‘Ekehi (Investigate Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chin and Kono begin to look for the man behind the chopper's crash. What will they find?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More kudos! Thank you. I'm happy you're enjoying the story.

Chin hung up the phone after talking with Steve and stared at it for a moment. How did his friend get into these situations? The one good thing was that no one had been seriously hurt. He didn’t doubt that Steve could keep himself, Danny and Grace alive for a couple of days in the wilderness. He stood heading for Kono’s office. He tapped on her door and walked in shutting the door behind himself. “Pilikia cuz.”

Kono looked up from the papers she had been perusing and frowned when she noticed that Chin had shut the door. “What’s up?”

“I just got a call from Steve. Someone sabotaged the helicopter they were flying along the Napali Coast.” Kono sucked in her breath then released it with Chin’s next words. “The three of them are fine, just bruised and battered. Steve wants us to try and find who did this quietly without letting on that the three of them are still alive.”

Kono interrupted. “Why would we want to pretend they’re dead?”

“He doesn’t want another attempt made while they have Grace. As long as the saboteur thinks they are dead, Grace will stay safe.”

She nodded. “Oh. That makes sense except for how they will get back here.”

Chin smirked. “Steve will be contacting someone he can trust to pick them up on the QT. He’ll call regularly to let me know they’re okay. You know that Steve can handle himself and take care of Danny and Grace too.” 

Kono snorted. “Foa shuah. So where do we start?”

Chin shook his head and Kono’s eyebrows rose as he spoke. “The perp. contacted Steve before the chopper went down. Evidently he would like to expand his business to Hawaii but felt that Five-0 would stand in his way. His solution was to kill Steve and Danny, Grace was simply collateral damage to him. I want you to look through HPD’s alerts to see if they have any inkling of someone new in Hawaii. Meanwhile, I’m going to see the Governor and let her know what’s going on, and then I’m going to talk with Kamakono to see if he’s heard anything. If anyone asks, tell them that we’re just covering all our bases on a current case. We won’t be informing Rachel about our teams continued survival. Steve is concerned that she won’t be able to keep the secret.”

“She’ll use this against Danny won’t she?” Chin nodded. She sighed. “Kay den. I’ll get started with HPD. Keep in touch.”

Chin nodded as he headed out the door. It didn't take him long to reach the Governor's office where he was let in after a few moments.

"Officer Kelly, please have a seat. What brings you to my office? I thought that Five–0 were working on paperwork and assisting HPD. Do you have a new case?" The Governor asked.

Chin shook his head. "I wanted to let you know that I heard from Steve earlier. Someone sabotaged the chopper they were using and it went down. All three of them are fine just battered and bruised. Steve wants us to keep their survival on the QT. I think he’s afraid that another attempt might be made while they still have Grace with them. I have to agree with him. Someone on that island planted the device that caused the chopper to crash. Word would get back to whoever is behind the attempt and could try again, endangering even more people. Safer to ‘stay dead’ for now. He's going to arrange for rescue through his own sources while we try to find out who attempted to kill them."

Governor Jameson took a moment to absorb the news. "I see. I’m happy to hear that they’re all okay. Steve would have the resources to be rescued without anyone else knowing. Thank you for letting me know what’s going on Officer Kelly. Is there anything that you need from my office for your investigation?"

Chin shook his head. "Not at this time Governor. Kono and I will be looking into any new players that have come to Hawaii as quietly as we can. We don't want the perp. to know that we’re onto them yet. Once they have been deemed missing, I think we’ll be safe to be a little more open in our investigation. We can say that we’re treating it as sabotage until it’s proven otherwise."

The Governor nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that could work. Five-0 is high profile and has created some enemies. Very devious Officer Kelly, I like it. Keep me updated as best you can. What you have told me will not go outside my office."

Chin stood up he knew a dismissal when he heard one. "Thank you Governor we appreciate that. I'll do my best to keep you updated."

"Good luck. And tell Steve that I'm glad that they’re alright."

Chin nodded as he responded. "I'll do that Governor. I expect to hear from Steve tonight." With that the two said their goodbyes and Chin was on his way.

Chin parked his bike fairly close to Kamakona’s shaved ice stand. The two men smiled as they greeted each other. "Hey brah howzit?" Chin asked.

"They good brah. People like the shaved ice, makes me happy. Any kine for you? The usual?"

Chin sighed. "Not today. I need some information." Kamakona nodded. "Have you heard about any new players coming to Hawaii? They probably have a reputation for being ruthless."

Kamakona began putting together a shaved ice while he spoke. "Maybe, I don't know if this is the person you’re looking for but I’ve heard about someone trying to move their business to Hawaii. From what I've heard he’s bad news, drugs, guns, and doesn't want to use any locals in his business. Will get rid of anyone who stands in his way."

Chin thought about what Kamakona said for a minute before responding. "Sounds like it might be our guy. Do you think you'll be able to get any more information about him?" 

"I can try brah, no garrens."

Chin smiled. "That's all I ever ask brah you know that. One thing, it's important that you don't let anybody know that we’re looking into his business."

"As always brah, as always." He handed Chin a cooler bag. "Here's a shaved ice for you and for your cousin. As long as you go right back to headquarters, they'll still be frozen."

Chin paid for the ice after he took it. "Mahalo. I'm sure Kono will be grateful." Chin put the bag in a saddlebag before starting his bike and heading back to headquarters.

Kono saw her cousin walking in and was grateful for the interruption. "Hey cuz., did Kamakona know anything? Wait, what’s in that bag?"

Chin smirked. "Just some shaved ice Kono. Let's enjoy or treat and we can swap information." The cousins headed to his office so they could talk in relative privacy. Once they were sitting down enjoying their shaved ice Chin began. "Ok Kamakona has heard about a new player in Hawaii. Says the man is bad news, ruthless. He's into drugs, guns the usual. He doesn't like using locals to handle his business either. Kamakona is going to see if he can find out any more information on this guy. Did you find anything?"

Kono nodded pulling out her portable computer tablet pulling up some information for Chin to look at. "There have been a couple of murders of local drug dealers. These aren't your typical dealers; they're the bigwigs in an area. As you can see the death was brutal, Max thinks it was a message except no one has taken credit for the kills as far as HPD knows. The rival gangs vehemently deny killing the two men."

Chin carefully looked through the information that Kono found. It seemed to agree with what Kamakona told him, a new player who was bad news. "Now I know what Kamakona meant when he said the new player didn't use locals. He’s brutal, definitely someone who would try and kill the head of Five-0 and his second-in-command. Probably wouldn't worry too much about killing a little girl either. Now we need to find out who this person is while not letting on that Steve and Danny are still alive." Chin scrubbed his face and frustration.

Kono asked concerned. "Do you really think it's the best idea that Steve, Danny, and Grace remain dead?"

Chin blew out his breath as he sat back in his chair. "At the moment, yes it's the best idea. We don't want to risk having the rescuers along with our friends be killed on the way back. It’s definitely too risky while they have Grace. They'll be fine for a couple of days out in the wilderness. Steve has the knowledge and Danny and Grace are tough."

Kono sighed. "I know you're right, I’m just worried about them."

Before Kono could continue Chin's phone rang. He looked at the time before he picked it up. "I bet this is the notification that the chopper didn't return." Chin picked up the phone and answered it. "Officer Kelly, Five-0 how can I help you?"

_"Officer Kelly, this is Kekipi Chee the owner of Kauai Tours. I was given your name as an emergency contact if something happened with Lieutenant Commander McGarrett’s chopper. Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams, and his daughter haven’t returned and they’re not answering the radio. I’ve called search and rescue; they should be on their way."_

Chin sighed as he looked at Kono and nodded indicating that he was right. "How long have they been missing Mr. Chee?"

_"They have been missing close to two hours. I gave them some extra time due to Commander McGarrett's experience as a pilot. I thought he may have chosen to show his friend and the girl more of the coast. When they were more than 45 minutes past the scheduled return time, I tried to contact Commander McGarrett. When he didn't answer I knew there was something wrong, so I called search and rescue. I instructed them to contact you as well as myself when they find them."_

“Thank you for calling Mr. Chee. How difficult do you think it will be to find them? I would think that Commander McGarrett gave you a flight plan.”

_“He did. I've faxed it to search and rescue’s main office. It should help.” Responded Mr. Chee._

“Alright. Keep me posted Mr. Chee.” Chin hung up. “Well the search is on. Steve was given a bit more time than I think he expected. Hopefully they’ll be far enough from the crash site when rescue comes.”

Kono nodded. “How do we go about trying to find out who sabotaged the chopper if we intend to remain discrete?”

Chin sat back to contemplate Kono’s question. “We should be able to be a little less discrete when the chopper is found. As I told Governor Jameson, we can tell people that we are treating the crash as sabotage until it is determined to be an accident. After all, Five-0 has made enemies, as has Steve.”

“Makes sense. I hope that Kamakona can get some information for us.” Chin nodded in agreement.

  


**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh. Not too much information yet! I hope you enjoy finding out what happens!
> 
> Pilikia: problem  
> Foa Shuah: for sure  
> Any Kine: anything  
> Garrens: guarantee
> 
> A/N: I think that Chin and Kono would slip in more Pidgin when they are alone since it is probably second nature for them.


	4. Kolokolo Mahele ‘Elua (Investigation Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation rolls on. What do Chin and Kono find?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I'm very happy people are still enjoying this story.

Chin and Kono were researching mainland databases on the smart table to see if they could find someone in the drug trade that followed a pattern of eliminating the competition as well as any major law enforcement when setting up shop. They looked up when the main doors opened to see a search and rescue officer heading their way. 

The officer stopped in front of the cousins. “Are you Officer Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua?”

Chin answered. “We are. Did you find Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams and Grace?”

“I’m Lieutenant McShane of Search and Rescue. We found their chopper. I’m sorry to report that there isn’t much left. The chopper exploded, possibly on impact.” Kono gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “It’s believed that there were no survivors.”

Chin put his arm around Kono’s shoulder, asking soberly. “Why is there a question of no survivors?” 

“So far, the S&R crew at the sight has not found any evidence of three bodies. Until we find their remains, we cannot say for sure there are no survivors. Unfortunately, with the amount of damage to the chopper, it is unlikely there are survivors. We have requested that the state police send a crime unit along with contacting the FAA and NTSB. They will begin sifting through the wreckage tomorrow to determine the cause of the crash. It will take until then to get the equipment to the crash site.”

“You say that you contacted the state police? Is there something suspicious about the crash?” Chin asked.

The officer nodded. “Yes. Most scenic tours are given at a relatively low altitude. A crash from such an altitude shouldn’t cause the chopper to explode. I’m not saying that the damage wouldn’t be significant, but for an explosion, there requires altitude and…let me be frank, an inexperienced or incapacitated pilot. Even a brief look into Commander McGarrett’s background let us know that he’s an experienced pilot and should have been able to control the crash to some degree, keeping it from being catastrophic. So either there was foul play, or something happened to Commander McGarrett causing him to lose control of the chopper. It’s standard procedure to eliminate each and every possible reason for the crash until the cause is found.”

“I understand. We’ll go with the idea that someone was trying to kill them and begin looking at possible suspects. If there was foul play, we wouldn’t want to lose any time in finding who may have done it.” Chin said.

Lieutenant McShane nodded. “We’ll make sure that the FDA and state police keep you in the loop Officer Kelly.”

“Has anyone contacted Rachel Edwards? She’s Grace William’s mother.” Chin added.

“I’m headed there next.”

“May I make a suggestion Lieutenant?” The Lieutenant nodded. “Stan Edwards is her husband. It would be a good idea to speak to him first and have him with you when you notify her. Rachel Edwards and Detective Williams recently went through a bitter custody battle which was won by Detective Williams. Mrs. Edwards was very angry. She tried to get custody by claiming that Danny’s work was dangerous and Grace would be killed because of it. I think that she will take this even worse than expected.”

The Lieutenant made a note. “Thank you. I’ll meet with Mr. Edwards first.” He held out his hand to shake with Chin and Kono. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I’ll leave you to your investigation.” 

As soon as the Lieutenant had left, Chin sagged against the Smart Table. “It looks like Steve was successful in hiding their survival for now.”

Kono chewed on her lower lip for a moment before speaking. “I wonder how long it will be before this makes the news?”

Chin snorted. “Not long, this is big news. The head and second in command of Five-0 are presumed dead. The media will be all over that, which means I have to see the Governor hopefully she can keep Steve, Danny and Grace’s name out of the news until all family can be notified. That should buy us some more time. I’ll stop for some shaved ice on the way back. Hopefully Kamekona will have some information for us.”

Kono nodded. “Meanwhile, I will continue our search. Pomaika’i cuz.”

“You too.” Chin said as he headed out the door.

  


**H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50**

  


Chin entered HQ an hour later to find Kono reading some paperwork. “Did you find something Kono?”

Kono looked up. “Maybe. I found that something similar happened in LA last year. Several local drug dealers were found dead and several prominent officers in the anti-drug unit were killed. The police believe it was a a new group. They eliminated anyone in their way.”

Chin nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds familiar. Did the LA cops have a name for the new player?”

Kono handed Chin one of the papers she held. “Yes. Based on witness accounts, they believe that brothers, Lloyd and Liam Cameron, are behind the deaths in LA. They’re twin brothers, so while one commits the crime….”

“…the other provides an alibi of sorts. I bet the witnesses can’t tell the difference between them so they get away with it unless there's fingerprint evidence*.” Chin finished. “Are either of them here in Hawaii?”

Kono handed him another paper. “Both of them are here. They’ve been here for two months.” 

Chin read the information that she had given him. He nodded. “This agrees with the information that Kamekona had for me. He only had the name Cameron, and that the local drug dealers are afraid. It seems they have good reason to be afraid. Alright, let’s do some more digging into the Cameron brother’s past and their current activities, maybe we’ll get lucky and find something.” At that moment Chin’s phone rang. He checked the caller ID. As he answered he told Kono. “It’s Stan. Good afternoon Stan.”

_“Hello Chin. I’m sorry to hear about what happened. I do appreciate that you had Search and Rescue come to me first. Rachel’s reaction was even worse than I anticipated. She completely broke down and began ranting and raving about Danny killing Grace. I had to call the paramedics and have her sedated before bringing her to the hospital. I’m at the hospital waiting for a psyche evaluation for Rachel. Do you know anything about the crash yet?”_

“I’m sorry to hear about her reaction. We don’t know anything at this time. Kono and I are looking at this as a criminal investigation until we learn otherwise.”

_“Please keep me informed as much as you can. I care about the three of them.”_

“I will Stan.” Chin hung up. “Well, Rachel’s reaction was not a good one. She’s at the hospital. Stan said that she had to be sedated.”

Kono shook her head. “Dat junk. She’s going to cause trouble when they come back alive.”

Chin sighs. “Mmm, probably, but we will back Danny up. Now let’s get back to our investigation. Let’s find out what we can about the Camerons so that we will have something to tell Steve when he calls.”

  
**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the story will continue with our intrepid hikers.
> 
> Pomaika’i: good luck  
> Dat: that  
> Junk: not good, rotten
> 
> *Identical twins have the same DNA but their fingerprints are different. I love watching some of the real forensic type shows.


	5. Hele Wawae Mamao La 'Ekehi (Hike Day One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the journey for Steve, Danny and Grace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People are still enjoying this story. Cool.
> 
> And now we get back to Steve, Danny and Grace.

The trio had been hiking on and off most of the day when they found a good place to stop for the night. Steve hadn’t wanted to push Danny or Grace, neither were used to taking a long hike. Besides, they were all sore from the crash. He also taught Danny and Grace how to hide their path. He knew a good tracker would easily follow them, but this would still buy them time and gave Grace something to think about other than the crash or their situation. 

“Okay, time to stop, this looks like a good place to spend the night.” The three hikers took off their packs and grabbed their canteens for a drink of water before sitting down. Steve was checking out the small clearing to get an idea what would need to be done. “We’ll need to clear the ground so that we can sleep. It’ll be a good idea if we can find some fruits to eat too. We don’t want to use up our supply of food if we can help it.” 

“What do you need us to do Steve?” Asked Danny tiredly.

“First, we need to look at our food supply; I want to be sure that we will have plenty for an extra day just in case. I’m going to take a quick walk around to see if I can find any edible fruits as well as a water supply. That way we can supplement what we already have.” He looked at Grace. “Leia would you like to help me find some fruit for us to eat and extra water to drink?” 

She smiles brightly. “Okay. I’d like to help.”

Steve returned the smile. “Good. Grab your canteen, your knife and something we could use to carry fruit.” He wanted to see what she would pick. He grabbed a bag out of his pack before teasing Danny. “Don’t worry, no pineapple, takes too long to open.” 

Danny rolled his eyes. “Under the circumstances, edible will be acceptable even if it is pineapple.” Both men knew that Danny actually liked pineapple, just not on pizza. It didn't stop Steve from ragging on his friend. 

Grace giggled at her father as she joined Steve with a shirt she had made a knot in the bottom forming a bag. Steve smiled pleased holding out his hand. “Loa maika’i Grace. We won’t be long Danny. Meanwhile, I’d like you to take an inventory of the food we do have so we can make it last.”

Danny noted Steve’s proud, though amused expression as he took Grace’s hand. He watched them leave thinking about the time he had thought Steve was terrible with kids. Either he had been very wrong or Steve was a fast learner. He decided it was a little of both. Today had revealed another side of his friend. He knew that Steve was trained for this kind of thing and that he and Grace were holding him back. However, Steve never let it show in word or deed. Steve had acted as if this was a regular hike, pointing out different trees and birds that they saw along the way after showing them ways to hide their trail. He even praised Grace for her skill in minimizing her trail. Now he was going to show her how to find fruit to eat in the wilderness that is Hawaii. If this kept up, Grace would insist on hiking and camping for fun! He can’t even be angry, because Steve has helped keep her from being afraid. Meanwhile Steve led Grace deeper into the woods. He continued to teach Grace about the local fauna as they looked for food. 

“΄Anakala Steve?” 

“What’s up?”

“We’re not going to have a fire, are we?” Grace wondered.

“No, we’re not. Can you think of a reason why we shouldn’t have a fire?” Steve wanted to know if she had figured it out herself.

“Someone would see it. So to stay hidden we can’t have one right?” She looked at Steve.

He smiled as he tweaked her nose, making her giggle. “Fo’ Shua. You’re plenny akamai.” He wasn’t worried about her not understanding him; he’d been teaching Grace Pidgin since she had moved in with Danny and him. He also knew that she was picking it up at her school. They walked a couple more feet when Steve spotted some Lilikoi. He stopped pointing them out to Grace. “See that fruit there.” She nodded. “They’re called Lilikoi, kind of like passion fruit. We’ve had that at the house, you liked it. They look nice and ripe too. I’ll show you how to tell.” So Steve showed Grace how to tell which fruit was ripe and the best way to pick them.

“How many should we pick ΄Anakala?”

“Since they’re small, we’ll pick six for each of us. We will be able to save some for the hike tomorrow. I’m sure that we can find something else before we head back, so we need to save some room.” They proceeded to pick eighteen Lilikoi fruit and put them in Grace’s “bag”. “Now let’s see what else we can find.” They picked up their bags and headed to the right. Steve decided to circle the campsite. He didn’t want to go too far, they still had to do some more hiking tomorrow. They also found a couple of Java Plum trees and picked some fruit as well as some macadamia nuts to pick. They didn’t find a source of water. Steve wasn’t too worried about it though. He figured that the fruit would help them stay hydrated and more than likely they would find something tomorrow. If not, there were plenty of coconut trees around. He would just climb up and get some if needed. “Alright Grace, I think we’ve done enough searching. It’ll be getting dark soon enough, and I would rather we be ready before it does.”

“Okay ΄Anakala Steve.” She took his hand as they headed towards their camp.

Steve noticed that she was kind of quiet and asked her about it. “Is there something wrong Leia?”

Grace whispered. “I’m scared ΄Anakala Steve. I’ve never spent the night outside before. I know that we planned to go camping, but this is different.” She looked at him with wet eyes and trembling lips.

Steve squatted, putting his bag down so he could hug Grace. Steve had been waiting for something like this. Grace may be a brave little girl, but she was still a little girl who was almost killed earlier that day. “I know you’re scared Leia, and that’s okay. I’m scared too.”

She pulled back to look at him. “How can you be scared? Daddy says that you’re one of the bravest men he knows.”

He gently brushed some hair out of her face smiling softly. “Being brave doesn’t mean that you don’t feel fear. It means that you do what has to be done in spite of the fear. Do you remember when we watched Disney’s Beauty and the Beast?” Grace nodded. “Do you remember how scared Belle was when she first entered the Beast’s castle? She still entered it though, didn’t she? She was very brave, just like you. You have been helping me all day, even though you were afraid.”

Grace searched Steve’s face finding complete sincerity and believed him. She hugged him tightly sniffing. “Thank you ΄Anakala Steve. I didn’t want to let you or Danno down.”

Steve tightened his hold on her reassuringly. “You could never disappoint your dad or me for being afraid. Do you know why?” Grace shook her head. “It’s because we love you.”

Grace pulled back to look at a smiling Steve surprised. He’d said the words that Danno told her were hard for him. “I love you too ‘Anakala Steve.” She returned to hugging him tightly.

Steve kissed her hair as warmth spread through his chest. It had been too long since he’d heard those words. He held her for a few minutes relishing in the feeling of holding his kaikamahine before speaking in a practical manner again. “It’s going to be dark soon, so we should get back to camp and see if we can make our beds nice and comfortable. What do you think?” He pulled back so that he could see her face and gently wiped a couple of tears away.

“Okay ΄Anakala Steve.” Steve smiled grabbing his bag and picked Grace up so that he could carry her back. “Hey, I can walk.”

“I know you can. I wanted to carry you. Would you rather I carry you over my shoulder? I could do that.” So he moved her so he was using a fireman’s carry.

She giggled from her upside down position. “Hey, I’m not a sack of potatoes you know.”

Steve threw his head back laughing. “No you’re not. You are my nani kaikamahine.” Still, he kept her slung over his shoulder as they walked back to camp.

Danny watched Steve step through the bushes and tried not to laugh at the sight of his daughter hanging over his partner’s shoulder. "What, did you get too tired to walk Monkey?”

“No, ΄Anakala Steve decided I was a sack of potatoes.” She huffed in pretended exasperation.

Danny laughed as Steve put the bag of fruit and his daughter down. Before Grace could move away Steve grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her so that she was above his head while she shrieked with laughter. “Well, maybe I should toss you around like a sack of potatoes.” He pretended to toss her in the air before setting her back down. 

“Save me Danno!” Grace ran to her father and jumped into his arms nearly knocking him over.

The threesome laughed. “I see you found some fruit, your bags are nice and full.”

Grace nodded. “We found some Lilikoi, which are like passion fruit and some Java Plums as well as some Macadamia nuts.”

Steve was looking at the sky while Danny and Grace were talking. “I hate to interrupt, but we should prepare a place to sleep and eat before it gets dark. We can’t afford a fire because of search and rescue.” 

“Alright Steve. Let’s get ready for our night out.”

As Steve directed and/or demonstrated what was needed, the three worked together to create a space to sleep that would be easy to hide in the morning. Once that was done, Steve prepared the fruit with Grace’s help, and Danny grabbed two peanut butter and jam sandwiches and some bottled water for them to share. 

As they were eating Danny asked a question that had been nagging at him most of the day. “Steve, I’ve been wondering about something since before the crash.” Steve looked at Danny quirking his eyebrow in question. “You were already looking to land before that guy contacted us. You said something about the owl acting weird. Why did that bother you?”

Steve shifted so he could look at both Danny and Grace before answering. “Danny do you remember when I told you and good old Joey about the Hawaiian belief in having an 'Aumakua?” Danny nodded. “It had to do with that belief.” At Grace’s curious look Steve tried to explain. “Let me tell you about the 'Aumakua Leia. Hawaiian’s believe that our ancestors can come to us when we are in need of help. They can appear to us in the form of an animal, fauna, or mineral either in the physical world or they can enter our dreams. We might need advice, to be led to safety when lost, or even warned of danger. Our 'Aumakua will show up and help us. It is said that you will know your 'Aumakua when you see him or her. We just need to be open to the possibility. Do you understand so far?”

“I think so. The 'Aumakua is not always the same every time you see him?”

Steve smiled. “That’s exactly right Grace. If we had been on a boat the 'Aumakua could be a shark, a dolphin, or even a sea turtle. It depends on where you’re located, and your particular needs. Do you remember the Pueo Owl we saw today? Do you remember how it acted?” She nodded. Danny looked confused; he hadn’t really been able to see how the owl behaved from the back seat. “Do you want to tell your dad what it did Leia?” “It flew towards us, then turned and flew towards the clearing where we crashed. It did it again, coming even closer to us.” Danny’s eyebrows shot up; even he knew that was not normal for a bird of any kind.

“I swear it looked right at me Danny, that’s how I knew something wasn’t right. I started heading for the clearing. You know the rest.”

“I guess I’m just wondering why you were so quick to believe you were seeing an 'Aumakua. You’re so good with science, I would think that science and beliefs of a spiritual nature would be difficult to reconcile.” Normally Danny would give Steve grief, but his actions saved them today. So Steve earned a break _this time_.

Steve was looking at Danny and Grace, trying to decide if he should talk about his previous experience. He really shouldn’t, it was part of a classified mission. He took a deep breath making up his mind. “It’s not the first time I’ve been saved by my 'Aumakua. I can’t give you the details; the mission I was on is still considered all secret and hush, hush. Can you keep a secret Leia?” She nodded vigorously. He smiled at her as he continued. “I was leading a team of SEALs through a jungle in South America. We were ordered to bring some very bad men to justice. I was startled by a Capuchin Monkey who dropped onto a branch to my right. I signaled my team to stop. I was afraid that the monkey might give our position away. It waved its arms frantically looking right at me, not making a sound. When I didn’t seem to understand, it did it again. It seemed so intent, like it was warning me about something. I remembered the stories I had heard in my youth about 'Aumakuas and decided that it was better safe than sorry. I signaled two of my team to go ahead and scout the area. Once I did that the monkey disappeared into the trees. The scouts returned with the news that we were heading for a trap. Somehow the bad guys knew we were coming and were ready for us. I was able to change our plans so that the mission was successful. I firmly believe that the monkey saved the lives of my team. That’s why I was quick to believe that the owl’s odd behavior was a warning Danny.”

The two Williams stared at Steve. Danny in disbelief, and Grace in awe. She moved over to Steve sat in his lap and hugged him. “I’m glad you listened to that monkey. If you hadn’t you wouldn’t have come to Hawaii and become my ‘Anakala.”

He returned her hug, closing his eyes to keep tears at bay. “I am too kiddo. I would have missed out on getting to know you and your dad.” He clapped Danny on the shoulder which snapped him out of his stupor.

Danny blinked, realizing that he was grateful to that monkey too. Even though Steve could drive him around the bend sometimes, he was still the best friend and partner Danny had ever had. “I’m glad that you listened both times Steve. My life would be very boring without you in it, safer, but boring.” Both men laughed as Grace giggled.

Steve reached one-handed for the first-aid kit and pulled out a couple of bottles. “I have some pain reliever here for the three of us. We’re all sore from the crash and the hike. I want us to be able to get some rest tonight. This bottle is for children.” 

He opened it and dropped two pills in her hand. “Mahalo.” She popped them in her mouth and began chewing. 

Steve opened the other bottle and dropped two pills in Danny’s hand and two in his own. “Thanks Steve.” Danny handed Steve his water bottle so he could take his pills before grabbing his own.

“Now that is taken care of, we should get settled for the night. Danny and Grace, there is a good place to relieve your bladder just through those trees.” He pointed to their left. “There are no poisonous plants or leaves so don’t worry about what you pick to use instead of toilet paper. I’ll call Chin and my friend while you’re taking care of business, then I’ll go.” Steve pulled out the SAT phone and called Chin as Danny and Grace walked off.

_“Officer Kelly.”_

“Chin, it’s Steve. We’ve stopped for the night. How goes the investigation?” Steve asked.

_”Glad to hear that you guys are still okay. Kono and I have found out the new player has already been here in Hawaii for a couple of months anyway. At least two drug traffickers have been brutally murdered. This agrees with the information that Kamakono had. We believe we have a name, rather names of the people behind your ‘death’.”_

Steve sat up straighter. “Did you say names? As in there is more than one person involved in trying to kill us?”

_Chin answered. “Yeah. Kamekono was able to get me a name, Cameron, but didn’t have anything else. Meanwhile Kono discovered information about twin brothers, Lloyd and Liam Cameron who are believed to be responsible for similar actions in LA. They have been in Hawaii for two months. Shortly after their arrival, a major drug trafficker was brutally killed. A second trafficker was murdered last week. Now the attempt to kill you has happened. This is the same thing that happened in LA according to records. Kono and I will keep digging and will be able to fill you in when you get back.”_

“Good work Chin. I imagine that Search and Rescue have found the chopper by now. How did that go?”

_“I was visited by a Lieutrenant McShane from Search and Rescue. They found your helicopter. At this time, you are presumed dead since they haven’t found any signs of survivors.”_

“Who informed Rachel and Stan?”

_“Fortunately, the Lieutenant notified us first so I suggested that he speak to Stan first. That way he could be with Rachel when she was told. She had to be sedated and is currently at the hospital waiting for a psyche.” Chin sighed._

Steve grimaced. “I’m not looking forward to the confrontation when she finds out we’re actually alive and played dead.”

_Chin agreed. “I don’t think that it will go over well at all. Stan will probably understand, but I don’t know what he’ll be able to do.”_

“No sense in worrying about it. We have more important things to be concerned with right now. You can start investigating ‘the crash’ officially. I’ll call tomorrow when I know when we’ll be picked up. Be careful you two. It sounds like these brothers are very bad news.” Steve reminded Chin, concerned for his team’s safety.

_“We will brah. You three stay safe. Sleep tight.”_

Steve chuckled. “We’ll try. Later brah.” He hung up.

Next he called his friend Alan.

_“Aloha.”_

“Hey Alan, it’s Steve McGarrett.”

_“Steve, been a long time since you called. Howzit?”_

Steve told Alan about the chopper crash.

_Alan interrupted. “That was you brah? A helicopter crash in the Napali Coastal area has been all over the news. Are you okay?”_

“Yeah, we’re fine Alan. Unfortunately we are going to have to stay dead until we can get off the island.”

_“What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time Steve?” Alan asked._

Steve sighed. “Someone sabotaged the chopper Alan, trying to kill my partner, Detective Williams, and myself. I had enough warning to get the chopper close enough to the ground so the crash wasn’t too bad.”

_“Wasn’t too bad? I heard that the chopper is a smoking mess! That’s why you’re presumed dead. They’re looking for your bodies.” Alan was incredulous._

“Oh, it is now. It was rigged to blow after it crashed. I was able to get Danny and his daughter out of the chopper and a fair distance away before it blew. We were very lucky. Danny and I thought it was best if we play possum and let the saboteur think he succeeded. My other Five-0 team members are investigating the crash.”

_“So what do you need from me Steve?”_

“I need you and Mark to pick us up without notifying anyone. We’re headed for the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. From the information that I read, you should be able to reach it by boat. If you can’t, it can be reached on land. Hopefully it will be no later than tomorrow afternoon.”

_“Okay, we can do that for you. I’ll get things lined up. Mark and I will take one of our extended fishing excursions. Fortunately we haven’t done that recently or it would be suspicious. Do you have food? Does the area have enough fruit and nut trees around for you?” Alan added._

Steve smiled. “We’re fine. We brought three backpacks which I had packed with food and water. I had planned on having a small hike after we returned from our aerial tour before having a picnic lunch. So far, we have been able to find some fruit and nuts to add to our food supply. I don’t see us having a problem if we have to stay an extra day or two. I don’t want to push Danny and Grace who is only eight. They’re not used to hiking and camping, and we’re all sore from the crash. I do appreciate the concern Alan.”

_“Glad to hear it. Contact me when you’re at the park and Mark and I will let you know how long until we can pick you up. Take care of yourself Steve.”_

“Will do, Alan.” Steve hung up and headed for the bushes himself.

When Steve had returned from ‘using’ the facilities, he had Grace lie down between the two men for comfort and safety. “If either of you have to go during the night, wake me up, I have a flashlight we can use and I’ll take you. Goodnight Leia and Danno.” 

“Goodnight ΄Anakala Steve.” Grace gave him a quick hug than hugged her father. “Goodnight Danno.”

Danny returned her hug. “Goodnight Monkey. Goodnight Steve.” Danny was relieved that Grace seemed to be okay with staying out in the open like this, he didn’t know about the talk that she and Steve had had earlier. He would find out later and be grateful for Steve’s understanding and kind words for his daughter.

The three of them settled down for the night with their heads on their backpacks.

  
**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plenny: plenty  
> Akamai: smart  
> Fo’ Shua: for sure  
> Nani: beautiful/pretty  
> Maika'i: good  
> Kaikamahine: niece
> 
> I read the information on 'aumakua on the following websites http://www(dot)coffeetimes(dot)com/aumakua(dot)htm and http://www(dot)kaleoaloha(dot)com/aumakua(dot)html I hope I do the concept justice.


	6. Hele Wawae Mamao La 'Elua (Hike Day Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Danny and Grace continue their adventure. How does it go?

Steve woke early, as was his habit. He looked around in the early morning light to see Grace curled up against her father. He smiled even though seeing the two like that caused his heart to ache with the loss of his mother. He sat up checking his watch while pushing the ache aside. Getting the three of them to safety was more important right now. He grabbed his map and GPS before moving far enough away not to disturb Danny and Grace, but keeping them in sight. He wanted to check the distance they had to cover today to see if he thought the three of them could make it today. Steve looked up when he was finished and noticed he was not alone anymore. “Good morning, Leia. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

“You didn’t wake me up ΄Anakala Steve. I have to go. Will you take me?” Grace asked.

Steve stood, bowed then held out his elbow. “Of course My Lady. Right this way.” 

Grace giggled as she hooked her hand in his elbow. “You’re silly ΄Anakala Steve.”

“Hmm. I don’t think I have ever been accused of being silly before. Your dad likes to call me a Neanderthal animal, crazy, and Super SEAL, but not silly.” Steve smiled at Grace. “My grandfather used to do this with my sister Mary Anne when he was still around. She always liked it, said it made her feel special.”

Grace tugged on his arm so that he would bend down. She kissed him on the cheek. “I like it too, and you already make me feel special.” She released him to go behind a tree to take care of business. Steve watched her go smiling softly.

They returned to camp to find Danny looking around for them. “I see how it is, you were going to walk off and leave me here. I guess my daughter doesn’t need her Danno anymore.” He sighed dramatically.

Grace ran to her father and tackled him causing him to fall on his back as he laughed. “I’ll always need my Danno. But now I have my Danno and my ‘Anakala Steve to take care of me.”

“You’re absolutely right Monkey. And we have you to help take care of us.” He sat up. “It’s time for me to take care of business. Why don’t you and Uncle Steve get us some breakfast?”

Grace hugged Danny before getting off him. “Okay, we can do that. Are we going to pick more fruit?” She asked looking at Steve.

“Not right now Grace. We’ll get some food out of the packs and eat that and the rest of the fruit we picked last night. We can look for fruit and some nuts as we hike. Now that you know what two of the common fruit looks like, you should have no problems finding them. How does that sound Gracie?” Steve had grabbed Danny’s pack as he had been talking. He pulled out some protein bars and some trail mix that they can munch on while hiking.

Grace nodded and grabbed the fruit that had been left over and prepared it just as Steve had showed her the night before.

“How are you feeling this morning Grace? Are you very sore?” Steve asked. She had walked okay when she got up, but she could still be sore. She was sporting a few bruises that he could see.

“I’m fine. I ache a little bit, but I hurt worse when I fell out of Grandma Williams’s tree when I was five.” 

“I’m glad to hear that Grace. I think we’ll all take some pain medicine this morning just to be sure we stay alright.” Danny sat down next to Grace as Steve was talking. “How are you this morning Danny?”

“I’m stiff and sore, but it’s not too bad. I’m glad we took the pain meds last night though. I agree it is a good idea to take some more before we head out too.” Danny was sporting a spectacular bruise on his temple. Steve was sure that he had a couple of good ones too.

Steve nodded as he handed out the protein bars and trail mix. Grace doled out the fruit. They ate quietly, thinking about the walk ahead of them.

As they were cleaning up Danny asked Steve. “Did you check the map already Steve?”

Steve nodded as he was zipping up his pack. “I did. We should make it today. If not, we’ll get picked up tomorrow. We have plenty of food and water, so there's no rush.” Steve cut his eyes to Grace as he said that. Steve was impressed, she was doing really well with all the walking, but there was no need to make things harder than they already were for her. 

“’Anakala Steve, can I ask you something about being a SEAL?” Grace asked curiously as they began their hike. 

“You can as long as you remember that I might not be able to tell you. I promise that I will answer if I can.”

“Danno said that your nickname in the SEALS is Smooth Dog. How did you get that name?” 

Danny snickered wondering how Steve would answer this one. Maybe he would say it was classified.

Steve rolled his eyes at Danny. “I can answer that one Leia. Danno doesn’t know this, but in the SEALs, if you’re liked, you’re given a nickname; otherwise the men won’t waste their time. It’s the reason I gave you a nickname, Leia.” He looked at Danny as he said that, wanting his friend to understand why he used Danno, most of the time anyway. He saw recognition in Danny’s eyes before he returned to his story. “My buddies nicknamed me Smooth Dog because of an incident when I was training to be a SEAL. We train intensively for seven and a half months. There’s one week of training that is absolutely the most difficult time in SEAL training. Many recruits drop out during this week and have to go through training again if they're truly determined to be a SEAL. We train day and night near the ocean, and are only allowed to get four hours of sleep the entire week. So we’re cold, wet and sleep deprived. We do get four hot meals a day; we get warm on the inside. One of the things the training officers are looking for is the recruits’ ability to follow orders even when beyond exhausted. The trainers will give orders that aren’t complete to see who is really listening.”

“How do they do that?” Asked a curious and awed Grace.

“Well, let me see, ah, I have an example. The officers will give out a series of orders involving a heavy object, carry it so many feet, carry it around the rocks, and go so many feet into the ocean. Can you tell me what I left out?”

Grace thought about it, playing over Steve’s words in her head finally she had to shake her head. “No. What did you leave out?”

Steve smiled. “I didn’t say that the trainees had to carry the log out into the water. If the group leader is really paying attention, he would recognize that and would have his men put the object down and walk out into the water without it. The officers would reward any teams that recognized what was missing and acted accordingly. The team might get to stand next to the fire for a few minutes, or they could be allowed extra sleep.”

Danny was impressed. He’d known that SEAL training was difficult, he hadn’t realized how difficult. “So, what did you do to get your nickname?”

Steve snorted. “One of the training officers, Sorenson, had taken an extreme dislike to me. Thought I was too young, and not tough enough to be a SEAL since I came from the Academy. He believed that the Academy produced weak sailors unfit to be SEALS. He actually tried to make sure I failed the course. My team had to lug around one of the inflatable boats filled with gear, they’re awkward to begin with, add the weight and it was awkward _and_ heavy. We were ordered to climb over some rocks, he never mentioned the boat. I had the men put the boat down, make sure it was secured and we climbed over the rocks. Instead of being rewarded, he claimed that I wasn’t following orders. Fortunately, my second heard the orders and stated that the trainer had not told us to actually carry the boat. The issue was dropped, temporarily. My team wasn’t rewarded for catching the omission. He did the same thing on the last day. My second hadn’t heard the whole order so couldn’t back me. Sorensen was going to have me kicked out of the SEALs.”

Danny interrupted, indignant on his friend’s behalf. “What? He couldn’t really do that could he? Well, I know that it didn’t happen because you became a SEAL. What happened? Sounds like what he did was out of line, even for the military.”

Steve smirked remembering. “I protested to the CO, and explained what Sorenson had done both times. Sorenson denied it of course. He tried to say that my complaining showed that I wasn’t fit to be a SEAL. The CO decided to review the film of my teams’ training. I got the pleasure of watching Sorenson squirm. I guess he forgot that the Navy records SEAL training, especially He...er that particular week. It allows them to review the men who made it through training and see if anyone stands out. The Navy can also determine if anything needs changing. The review showed that I had been correct and that Sorenson had acted in a manner unbecoming of an officer. He was transferred with a black mark on his record. I was praised for my ability to listen and ‘follow’ orders or lack thereof.” Steve smiled remembering watching Sorenson being read the riot act by the CO. “So the rest of the guys decided that I was smooth, because I kept my cool in light of Sorenson’s tactics and tenacious, like a dog with a bone, because I refused to back down and accept defeat. They decided that Smooth Dog said it all.”

“Good. I’m glad that Sorenson got what was coming to him.” Danny stated. 

“Is it hard to become a Navy SEAL ‘Anakala Steve?” Grace inquired.

“It’s extremely difficult to become a SEAL Gracie. Only a select few are chosen to enter the training program, and even fewer complete training. I had to work very hard to become a SEAL. I’m glad that I did now. I might not have met you, Danno, Chin and Kono.” He turned his head so that he could smile at Grace.

Smiling back Grace spoke. “I’m glad you did too ‘Anakala Steve.”

“I hate to admit it but so am I Steve. Even though, you do have the propensity of getting us into trouble.” Danny snarked.

Steve laughed as they continued their hike. Several hours of easy hiking with several breaks, they reached the park. Steve surveyed the area to see if he could find the boat landing. “Let’s take a break and eat a little something. Afterwards, I’ll walk around to find the boat landing. It will dictate what type of boat Alan and Mark can use to get us.”

The three sat down to have a snack and take care of business. Steve insisted that Grace and Danny rest for awhile. He knew Grace had to be exhausted. It didn’t take Steve long to find the landing area. He was happy to note that a small boat would be able to pick them up. Their ordeal would be over soon, he hoped. He noticed that Grace was leaning on Danny tiredly.

“Did you find anything Steve?” Danny asked as soon as Steve had rejoined them.

“Yeah. The landing area is over that way.” Steve indicated a hill on their right. “We can rest here for a while. I’ll call Alan and let him know that we’re here.” 

  


**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I did some research on SEAL training and I believe my facts are correct. If they aren’t, please let me know. I’ll change it if I am really off. Otherwise, it does what I want it to do.


	7. Ho'opakele (Rescue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rescue is at hand.

The trio rested for about a half an hour. Steve didn’t want to rush things, but he wanted to see if they could be picked up before nightfall. It took them a little over an hour to reach their destination. 

Steve stopped and started taking off his pack. “I’m going to call Alan. Grace, I can see some of that Lilikoi fruit you liked and a Macadamia tree. Why don’t you show Danno how to pick it and we can have some while we wait.” Steve chuckled as he watched Grace drag a sputtering Danny to the fruit. He pulled out his phone and a small GPS device before calling Alan.

_“Alan Jennings.”_

“Alan, it’s Steve.” 

_“Steve, are you guys ready for pick up?”_

“Yes, we’ve made it to the coast. An inflatable boat or a smaller motor boat should be able to land easily.” Steve relayed to his friend.

_“Gotcha Steve. We have just the boat for pick up.”_

“When do you think that you and Mark can get here?”

_“We made good time. We should be there in a couple of hours. I’ll give you a call when we’re ready to launch the small boat.” Alan responded. ___

“Great. We’ll be waiting.” The two men hung up and Steve joined Danny and Grace. “We should be rescued in a couple of hours Danny. It looks like you picked enough fruit so why don’t we sit down to enjoy it.” Steve gave Chin a call to update him on their situation. The only news was that the DEA were also trying to bring the Cameron brothers to justice. This was definitely interesting news. 

Less than two hours later, Steve received a call from Alan. “McGarrett.”

_“Steve, we are closing in on your position. Can you see us?”_

Steve stood up and using his binoculars searched for Alan’s boat. Once he spotted it he told Alan. “I see you. You’re getting close enough to send in the smaller boat.”

_“K’den. See you soon.”_

“Thanks, we’ll be waiting.” Steve disconnected the call. “It won’t be long before Alan and Mark get here. We should take care of business and then make sure our packs are secure.”

“Okay Steve. Come on Grace, let’s hit the bushes.”

Smiling Grace took her father’s hand as they headed for some concealing trees and bushes.

Steve chuckled as he headed for some different bushes. 

Steve was checking his pack when Danny and Grace came back. 

Grace skipped over to Steve holding out some Java Plums. “Look, I found some Java Plums. I thought your friends might like them.”

Steve looked at Grace’s find smiling. “I think they'll like them. That was very thoughtful of you Leia. Why don’t you put them here on this relatively flat rock so you can check your pack?” The three heard a motor approaching and looked toward the ocean. “It looks like Mark is here to pick us up. I’ll help him get the boat secured while the two of you finish checking your packs.” 

Danny and Grace grabbed their packs and made sure that they put everything in them, including the trash as Steve instructed them that morning. They could clean them out later.

Steve sat on a nearby rock to remove his boots and socks, and then rolled up his pants. He waded into the water to meet the boat. Mark tossed him the tie line. Steve caught it and helped maneuver the boat onto the beach.

Once the boat was secure, Mark jumped out and hugged Steve patting his back (you know the manly hug). “Good to see you in one piece Steve.”

Steve stepped back. “Thanks Mark. Let me introduce you to my partner Detective Danny Williams and his daughter Grace. Danny, Grace this is an old friend Mark Jennings. We grew up together.”

Danny shook his hand. “It’s good to meet you Mr. Jennings. Call me Danny.”

“Pleasure’s mine. Please call me Mark.” He held his hand out for Grace smiling. “Hello Grace. Steve told me that you were beautiful, and smart. I can see that he was right about the beauty part.”

Grace looked up at Mark wide eyed. He wasn’t as tall as Steve, but he was still big. “Thank you Mr. Mark.”

Mark laughed. “Okay, you’re smart too. Well, let’s get this show on the road. I imagine that the three of you are ready for some civilization.”

“Absolutely. Steve is the nature nut here. I’m a city boy and proud of it.” Danny said as he grabbed his and Grace’s pack.

He looked at the two men who were smiling at him, before looking at Grace. She had her mouth covered trying not to giggle. “What? I want a shower and some coffee. No, I **need** coffee.”

Grace’s giggles were infectious. The three men joined her. Steve grabbed his pack. “Alright Danno. We can go now. Oh, wait.” He stopped Mark from climbing into the boat. “Grace, why don’t you give Mark your gift now, that way he can take it onto the boat with him.”

Mark looked at Grace who held out the plums she picked. “I found these for you and your brother. I thought you might like them.”

Mark bent over smiling as he accepted the plums. “Well thank you Grace. Alan and I love Java Plums.” 

Grace smiled brightly. “You’re welcome.”

“Alright let’s get this show on the road.” Mark climbed back into the boat carefully with his gift. He put them in a bag before grabbing life jackets handing them to Steve. Steve handed him his pack in exchange. “Give Mark your packs Danny and put on the life jacket. Here’s a Navy special life jacket for you Grace. I sent them to Mark and Alan a few years ago because they’re the best life vests out there. Here, let me help you put it on.” Steve helped her adjust the jacket so it was snug. “Alright Danny, it’s time to get in the boat. Leia, could you grab my socks and boots please while I put on my jacket?” Grace grabbed the socks, stuffing them in the boots and then picked up the boots bringing them to Steve. 

He took them with a smile handing them to Mark. “I’m going to lift you into the boat Leia.” He looked at Danny who was going to try and help Steve with Grace. “No Danny, stay still. You don’t want to unbalance the boat. Ready Leia?” She nodded and he lifted her easily into the boat. He untied the boat, tossing the rope to Mark. Once the motor was started, he helped to get the boat off the sand. Once the boat was loose he climbed in and sat next to Grace.

Mark slowly backed the boat out to where he could easily turn around. Once he was sure that he was away from any possible obstacles, he opened up the motor more and headed for the larger boat that was waiting for the foursome.

It didn’t take them long to reach the larger boat that had brought the two fishermen within easy reach of shore. Once all passengers had been safely transferred to the larger boat Steve made final introductions.

“Alan, I’d like you to meet my partner Detective Danny Williams and his daughter Grace. This is my old friend Alan Jennings.”

Alan shook hands with Danny and Grace. “It’s nice to meet the two of you, I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances.” 

“Same here Alan. Thanks for coming to help us.” Danny said. Grace just smiled at him.

Mark walked over to Alan showing him the plums. “Grace picked these for us; she thought we would like them.” 

Alan bent down so that he could look Grace in the face better. “Mahalo Grace. We love our fruit. Now, Steve has told us that you are a very smart girl. Would you like to help me navigate a boat?”

Grace looked at Danny for permission. He nodded resignedly. She smiled brightly. “I’d like that. 'Anakala says that it’s important to learn new things when you can.”

Alan looked a little confused so Steve explained smiling. “I consider both Danny and Grace as part of my family. So Grace wanted to know what uncle was in Hawaiian.”

“’Anakala Steve calls me Leia.” 

“Ah. Well, that is certainly a very nice nickname. Alright Grace let me show you what to do.” Alan and Grace headed to the wheelhouse for her lessons.

Danny looked at Steve. “You’re really pushing the teaching Grace new things you know. I don’t see why a little girl needs to know how to steer a boat.”

Steve huffed. “So she’s a girl Danny. We both know that girls can do many of the things that boys can do and still be a girl. Look at Kono. Dad used to say that growing up is about learning new things and not worry about whether they are for ‘boys’ or ‘girls’. Look at her; she’s enjoying herself and feeling useful instead of being afraid.” He pointed to the wheelhouse where they could see Alan and Grace talking and she was smiling.

Danny slumped knowing Steve was right. “How afraid do you think she’s been?”

Steve sat next to his friend. “All things considered, not too bad. She confided to me while we were picking fruit that she was scared.” Danny looked at Steve sharply ready to read him the riot act for not telling him. Steve continued before Danny could start. “I told her that it was okay to be scared. I told her that I was afraid. She had trouble believing it because you told her that I was one of the bravest men you know.” Danny looked down embarrassed. “Thanks for that by the way. I explained that being brave didn’t mean that you weren’t scared, it means that you do what needs to be done in spite of being scared.”

Danny looked at Steve impressed. “Did you use an example?”

Steve nodded, understanding Danny’s need to know that Grace was okay. “I used Disney’s Beauty and the Beast that we watched recently. Belle was scared when she entered Beast’s castle, but she still did it. Grace seemed to understand.”

Danny stared at Steve, amazed and a little jealous. He was amazed that Steve picked such a good example, though he really shouldn’t have been. Steve had gotten very good at talking with Grace. He was jealous because Grace went to Steve instead of her Danno. He pushed the jealousy aside, since it was uncalled for in this situation. All that really mattered is that his Grace was okay. “Sorry. I keep forgetting that you are getting better at speaking with Grace in a way she understands. Thank you for being there for her.”

Steve bumped Danny’s shoulder. “Anytime Danny, you know that.”

Danny smiled. “I do know that. Mahalo.” Danny turned to Mark. “How long will it take us to get back to Oahu?”

Mark thought about it for a moment. “We should be back sometime tomorrow. This boat is a good reliable boat, but she’s not one of the fastest boats out there.”

Danny nodded. “That’s fine. I just wanted to know what to expect.”

Mark smiled. “I understand. We have bunks where you three can sleep, and plenty of food. We also have a small bathroom that you can at least wash up.”

Steve answered. “Thanks Mark. We really do appreciate it. I should give Chin a call and let him know to expect us tomorrow.”

Mark nodded in acknowledgment and headed for the wheelhouse.

Steve pulled out his phone and hesitated.

Danny groaned as he noticed Steve’s hesitation. “What’s on your mind this time?”

Steve glanced at the wheelhouse then looked Danny in the eyes. “I’m just trying to think about how to return from the ‘dead’ Danny. It would be safer for Grace if we stayed incognito for a little while longer.”

“How do we do that?” Danny asked. He wasn’t going to go flying off the handle again with Steve, well at least not for awhile. 

“First, we should stay on the boat until nightfall, no matter what time we arrive in port. Actually, we should be dropped somewhere other than Alan and Mark’s regular dock. That would negate having to create disguises for the three of us before we disembark. I’m sure that Chin can arrange something for us.”

Danny nodded. “Okay. What about the investigation? Will we be completely sidelined?”

Steve shook his head. “No. Chin will be able to get us computer access at least. Or better yet, your friend Toast will be able to set us up with access that can’t be traced back to us. He should be able to provide burn phones too.”

“Good idea. Toast will have no problem with that. How long will we have to stay dead?” Danny wondered.

Steve smirked. “Not long I’m sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chin and Kono had enough information to at least bring the brothers in as persons of interest. Then we could question them personally.”

Danny smiled wickedly. “They’ll think they’ve seen ghosts. And since they tried to kill Grace I’ll help you interrogate them your way.”

Steve stared at Danny slightly surprised, and then chuckled. He shouldn’t have been surprised; when it came to Danny’s protective nature where Grace is concerned he was a father first, cop second. “I’ll be happy to let you help. There are two of them, we can each have one. For Grace I’d let you have both, but I want a piece of them for the same reason.” 

Danny smiled grimly. He knew Steve would go after these men full throttle. No one threatened a member of Steve’s ohana and got away with it. “I think it’s time to call Chin to see what they have and to discuss our plans.”

Steve picked the phone back up and dialed Chin. 

_“Kelly Five-0.”_

“Are you alone?” Steve asked.

_“Can you hold one moment? I have the information you need in my office.”_

Steve waited for Chin to move to his office.

_“Sorry about that. There are a couple of HPD officers in the main office. Have you guys been picked up?”_

“Yeah. We’re on our way back now. Do you have anything new for us?”

_“Oh yeah. We are sure that twin brothers, Lloyd and Liam Cameron are responsible for your predicament. They are believed to have committed similar crimes in LA. Several ‘high’ ranking drug dealers were killed for their territory as well as prominent members of LA’s anti-drug unit. They couldn’t prove it was the brothers because one of them would always be with several people so any witness to the crime couldn’t distinguish which ‘brother’ committed it.”_

Steve whistled. “I hate to admit it but that is very clever. I don’t suppose there is probable cause to bring them in for questioning?”

_“Maybe. The most recent killing of a drug trafficker was witnessed by two people. One of them picked Lloyd Cameron over his brother Liam in a photo line-up. Said the man who shot the dealer had a distinctive cowlick above his right eye. Lloyd had a cowlick, Liam doesn’t. When I asked her how she noticed that, her reply was, ‘I have been cutting and styling hair for twenty years, you notice things like that.’”_

“That’s great. I want you and Kono to sit on this information until Danny and I get back. Make sure that witness is protected; I don’t want her killed because she can identify Lloyd Cameron. Next, Danny, Grace and I are going to sneak onto the island. We think it will be best that we stay ‘dead’ until you bring in the brothers and Danny and I can reveal ourselves then. I want to give the brothers a big surprise, but this is also to help protect Grace.”

_“I understand brah. What do you need from us?”_

The two men discussed Steve’s plan. Chin knew of a place that the three could stay that would be safe. He would have a car hidden in the woods near where Steve was going to have his friends drop them off. Chin would make sure that the house had clothes for the three, as well as computers and phones from Toast. 

Steve hung up when they were finished. Steve told Danny about the brothers and how they were able to commit their crimes and get away with it so long. 

Danny silently agreed with Steve, it was very clever. 

Steve looked at the darkening sky as he continued. “Chin’s on board. I’ll talk to Mark and Alan about the drop off spot and then we can get some rest.”

Danny nodded tiredly. “Sounds good to me.”

An hour later, Steve, Danny and Grace were settling on their bunks after telling Grace the new plan. Steve explained that he wanted to be sure that the bad man wouldn’t be able to hurt them before revealing that they were still alive. Grace understood that this was to protect her, even if she didn’t understand all of the reasons for doing it. It didn’t take long for the three to fall asleep. They were tired and had another long day ahead of them tomorrow.

  


**TBC**


	8. Huna (Hide)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Danny and Grace have been rescued but they're not safe yet. Let's see how the threesome keeps a low profile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying with this story. RL can be a drag and kept me from posting the remaining chapters. Sorry about that.
> 
> Thanks again to all who have read, left Kudos and comments for this story. You're the best!

Steve awoke early the next morning. He smiled seeing Grace and Danny sound asleep on the two lower bunks. Steve had taken the upper bunk, easier for him to climb up, and he knew Danny would want to be able to see Grace if he woke during the night.

Steve climbed quietly out of the bunk and hit the bathroom. He moved outside to call Chin. The safe house was ready for habitation. Chin had procured a laptop from Toast, which was waiting for them at the house along with two burner phones. Steve had a couple of contacts he thought might have even more information on the Camerons. Kono had been able to arrange for her father and Sid to watch/protect Grace when Steve and Danny came to HQ to question the Cameron brothers. Steve decided he had the best team ever that included his SEAL teams. 

Now he had some arrangements to make with Allen and Mark. 

“Hey Steve, did you sleep well?” Asked Mark when Steve entered the wheelhouse.

“I did. Danny and Grace are still asleep. It’s been a long couple of days, and I’m afraid it isn’t over yet. As I mentioned last night, we are going to stay ‘dead’ for at least another day unless the CSI or FDA realizes that there are no bodies in or around the downed chopper today. I want to do what I can to protect Grace before we reveal ourselves. I would prefer to have the responsible party arrested before we bring Grace out into the open.”

Mark looked at Steve. “Makes sense, so what do you need?”

“I’ve made arrangements with one of my team for the three of us to stay at a safe house. I have some coordinates that I would like you to drop us at instead of taking us to your usual dock. Then you can get some fishing done so people don’t get too suspicious.” Steve handed Mark the coordinates for the drop off.

“Kay den brah. I’ll make the course corrections. We should be there by mid-day. There’s food in our small galley for the three of you. Tell Danny there’s coffee.”

Steve smirked. “Thanks man. I really appreciate what you and Allen are doing for us.” Steve headed back to see if Danny and Grace were up yet. He found them both sitting up in their bunks. “Good morning. Did you two sleep well?”

Danny nodded while stretching. “Yeah. This bunk was definitely more comfortable than the ground. I just don’t understand how people can enjoy camping when they have nice comfortable beds in hotels.”

Steve smiled at his cranky friend. 

“It was weird sleeping with the boat rocking, but I slept good.” Grace told Steve.

“That’s good. I'm glad neither of you got sea sick. I spoke to Chin; he has a safe place for us to stay. Mark is adjusting our course so that we get dropped off near a car that Chin left for us. We can discuss the rest over breakfast. I’ll meet you in the galley, and I’ll even get the coffee started for you Danny.” Steve smirked at a scowling Danny.

“Laugh it up. You’re lucky Grace is here or I would be even grouchier than I am right now.”

Steve chuckled when Grace started giggling at her father. “I guess I’d better hurry than, I wouldn’t want to incur cranky Danny’s wrath, would I Gracie?” Steve high tailed it out of the room to Grace’s laughter and Danny’s growls.

  


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The boat arrived at the small inlet shortly after lunch. Grace had spent the morning learning more about navigation much to her father’s fake horror. 

Steve offered his hand to Allen who was staying on the boat. “Mahalo bruddah foa yo’wah kokua. You probably saved our lives.”

Allen shook Steve’s hand. “No boddah brah. We owed you a few. Even if we didn’t, you’re our friend and needed help.” He turned to Danny and the two shook hands. “It was nice to meet you Danny. You have an awesome daughter.”

Danny smiled proudly. “Thank you for everything. I’m sure that Steve can arrange for the five of us to go out for a day under normal circumstances. I know Grace would love that.”

Both men smiled at a bouncing Grace. Allen squatted down as he offered Grace his hand. “You are a quick learner Grace and were a big help. I hope that you can join us again sometime. You take good care of your dad and uncle. They need looking after.”

Grace giggled. “Mahalo. I’ll take care of them. They’re my ohana.”

Allen smiled and stood up. “Let us know how things go. Keep in touch Steve and take care of yourselves.”

“We will. Thanks again brah.” 

It didn’t take long to load the smaller boat and get ashore. Once they were unloaded Mark made his goodbyes, much like Allen did.

Steve, Danny and Grace waved as Mark took the boat back. Steve pulled out a map and his GPS from his pack and looked it over comparing information with the GPS. He pointed to a spot on the map. “This is where Chin and Kono left a car for us to use. According to the GPS it is about 500 feet from our position. Let’s get our packs on and get going. The sooner we find the car the sooner we can get to the safe house.”

Danny agreed as he was helping Grace with her pack. “I’ll be much happier when we get there.”

Steve checked their packs before leading the way. He was right; it didn’t take long to get to the car, which had been well hidden from the road. Steve whistled. “I wonder where Chin got the camouflage net.” The threesome took off their packs and took the camouflage net off the car. “Let’s get our packs in the trunk and we can be on our way.”

The packs were placed in the trunk, Grace was buckled in the back and Steve took the wheel, while Danny rolled his eyes at his partner. A twenty minute drive found them at a small cottage that belonged to one of Chin and Kono’s cousins. They found the cottage stocked with food and clothes for the three of them. It was a relief to take a shower and change into clean clothes. 

Danny entered the small living/dining room to find Steve working at the laptop. “So, what did Chin leave us?” Danny asked sitting down next to Steve.

Steve pointed to a couple of folders. “That is what Chin and Kono have found so far on the Cameron brothers. I contacted a couple of DEA agents that I know to see what they have on the Camerons.”

Grace came out of her room to find her father and uncle studying something on the computer intently. “Should I stay in my room?” She knew that her father wouldn’t want her involved in his work.

Danny and Steve looked up to see a worried Grace. Danny held out his arms and she ran right into them and hopped in his lap. “Well, we would love the pleasure of your company Grace. It seems that Kono left you some crayons, markers and paper so that you could color. I believe she also brought you some books to read and some DVDs we can watch later. So as long as you don’t disturb our paperwork, you may stay with us.” Danny indicated the papers spread out in front of Steve and him. “How does that sound Monkey?”

Grace smiled. “I’d like that. I’ll make a picture for Kono to thank her.” She hopped off Danny’s lap to get started on her picture.

Grace’s thoughtfulness never failed to amaze Steve. “That’s very thoughtful of you; I bet Kono would really like that Leia.” Grace smiled at Steve as she pulled some crayons out.

An hour and a half later, Steve was going to suggest getting some supper when he received some very interesting information from his DEA friend. “Hey Danny, check this out. My friend just got back to me and I think we have what we need to arrest the Camerons.”

Danny looked at the information Steve found so interesting. He read it over and whistled. “So, the reason that the Camerons moved to Hawaii was not just to expand their operation, but to evade the DEA. But instead of lying low, they go right back to their old tricks. Morons.”

Steve chuckled. “No one ever said criminals were smart. My friend Jack will forward this information to Chin. It should be enough to get an arrest and search warrant for the twins. I’ll call Chin to warn him the files are coming and then we can get something to eat.”

“I’ll get the food ready while you call Chin. Hey, Monkey how about you help you’re old man get us some supper?”

Grace smiled as she held up the picture she had made. “This is the picture I made for Kono. Do you think she’ll like it?” 

Danny took the picture so he could look at it closely. Steve looked at it over his shoulder. Grace had drawn Kono surfing a wave. Grace and Danny were watching from the beach all smiles. 

“It’s beautiful and Kono will absolutely love it.” Danny proclaimed. Steve nodded in agreement.

Grace picked up another picture and gave it to Steve. “Here, this is for you ‘Anakala. I hope you like it.”

Steve took the picture smiling at Grace. For him, she had drawn a picture of the two of them picking fruit in the jungle. He held out his arms in invitation. She got up so they could hug. “Yo’wah ki’i is nani. Mahalo Leia. I’ll put this on the fridge as soon as I we go back.” Grace hugged him tighter.

Danny looked at the two smiling. “Could you repeat what you said about Grace’s picture in English for those of us who don’t speak Pidgin?”

Steve chuckled as Grace pulled back but stayed in his arms. “I said, ‘Your picture is beautiful. I seem to remember someone mentioning food.”

Grace went to her dad grabbing his hand. “I’m hungry too. You said you’d let me help get it ready.”

Danny allowed Grace to pull him to his feet. “I did say that, didn’t I? I certainly don’t want to break a promise. I think I saw some hamburger in the fridge. How does that sound?”

“Burgers sound good to me. I think I saw a grill out the kitchen door.” Steve pointed towards the door.

Danny and Grace headed for the kitchen. “Alright Monkey. Uncle Steve is going to make a call while we slave over supper. Some things just aren’t fair.” 

Steve rolled his eyes as Grace giggled. He was glad that they had been able to keep Grace’s spirits up. He wasn’t surprised that she was handling everything; she was Danny’s daughter more than she was Rachel’s. She had her father’s strength for which Steve was grateful. He was sure that Danny was too. He grabbed the SAT phone and called Chin.

_“Howzit Steve. I take it the three of you made it to the safe house in one piece.”_

“We did. Thanks for making sure we had what we needed to work from here.”

_“Glad to help. Did you find anything interesting?”_

Steve smiled. “We did. I contacted a friend of mine in the DEA. He will be sending you some very interesting information. Actually, you should already have received it. You and Kono should be able to get search and arrest warrants with it. The DEA will be very happy to work with Five-0 to carry out any search and seizure warrants you can get on the Camerons’ property. The Cameron brothers moved from LA to escape the DEA who were close to being able to prosecute them.”

_Chin had been checking Five-0’s email to find the files that Steve had mentioned and was glancing through them while listening. “I just received the files. I don’t think I will ever understand some criminals. They leave LA because they’re close to being prosecuted by the DEA, but instead of lying low they start all over again. Are they lolo?”_

Steve chuckled. “Danny said the same thing except he called them morons. Can you arrange for your uncle and Sid to get here when you are arresting the Camerons? I’d like Danny and I to meet you at HQ right after you bring them in for questioning. This way there isn’t a chance of our survival leaking to them and their lawyer won’t have time to push for a quick release.”

_“Fo’ shua. I’ll give you a call when everything is set up so that you’ll be ready.”_

Steve noticed Grace headed his way. “It looks like the food is ready so I have to go. Pomaikai’i.”

_“Mahalo.”_

Steve hung up putting the phone on the table. “Are the burgers ready Gracie?”

Grace nodded holding out her hand. “Danno told me to get you or he might just burn your burger.” She told him.

Steve shook his head. “Well, we can’t have that can we? I don’t I’d like burned burgers.” 

The three people had a nice meal, talking about Grace’s school. She even got Steve to open up about some of his childhood. After supper, Steve saved and closed the files he had been working on to set up a DVD that Chin had left them. Grace fell asleep half-way through the movie. Danny put her to bed and the two men got ready themselves. They would have another long day tomorrow if everything went to plan.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kay den: okay, alright (I have also seen this as k’den)  
> Mahalo bruddah foa yo’wah kokua: Thank you brother for your help  
> Boddah: bother  
> Fo’ shua: for sure


	9. Hupo A Ninau (Arrest and Question)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the culprits and see Danny and Steve have a little fun in interrogation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope people are still enjoying the story. Thank you to all who let me know.

Steve rose early, checked on Grace to be sure she was okay. He decided to take a run; Chin had left him a map of some good trails around the cottage that would keep Steve away from any roads. He changed into some running clothes also provided by Chin, left Danny and Grace a note before heading out. It was a nice morning for a run, though he did wish he could swim but that would be pushing his luck.

Danny woke up not long after Steve left for his run. He looked at Steve’s bed to find it empty. He shook his head betting his partner went out for a run. He rose, checked on Grace before using the bathroom. He found Steve’s note next to a prepared coffee machine and chuckled. Steve knew him all too well. He started the machine as he read Steve’s note. The man had gone for a run; he left his route for Danny in case something happened and he couldn’t be reached by phone. 

Danny started up the laptop so he could do some research while he drank his coffee. Breakfast would wait until the three of them could eat together. Danny and Steve liked to have as many meals with Grace as a family as they could. With their jobs it wasn’t always possible to eat together, so they took advantage of the ones they could.

A half hour into his research Grace exited her room. “Morning Monkey. Did you sleep well?” Danny asked as they hugged.

“Yes. Where’s ‘Anakala Steve? Did he go for a run?” 

Danny smiled. Grace was getting to know Steve and his fastidious exercise habits too. “He did. He should be back shortly. Why don’t you go wash up and then you can help me get some breakfast ready for us. How does that sound?”

Grace smiled. “Okay.” She headed to the bathroom.

Danny got up and headed for the kitchen, he remembered seeing eggs in the fridge when he grabbed milk for his coffee. Opening the door he found them. He grabbed milk, bread and butter to make scrambled eggs and toast. Something all three of them liked. Grace came skipping out of the bathroom at the same time Steve opened the front door. Danny had his weapon pointed at the door, putting it back in his holster when he realized it was Steve.

Grace changed directions and headed for Steve to say good morning.

Steve held up a hand smiling. “Good morning Leia. You might not want to hug me right now; I’m all sweaty from my run.” She stopped her motion to hug him and grabbed his hand instead, he squeezed her hand affectionately. 

“Good morning ‘Anakala. I’ll save the hug for later.”

Steve smiled. “Can’t wait. Morning Danny. What’s for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs. So if you want any you should take your shower quickly or Grace and I will eat them all on you.”

Grace leaned towards Steve and whispered loudly. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you some.” 

Steve chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “Mahalo. I won’t be long, don’t worry.” He released her hand and headed off to take a shower.

  


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The threesome had finished breakfast and just finished the dishes when Steve’s SAT phone rang. “Must be Chin.” He picked it up hitting the on button. “McGarrett.”

_“Morning Steve. I have the arrest and search warrants for the Camerons. How do you want to handle this Steve?”_

“Hang on a minute.” He turned to Grace and Danny. “Grace, honey, would you mind taking either your coloring or a couple of books into your room so that Danno and I can talk to Uncle Chin? We’ll tell you what’s going on as soon as we know.”

Grace nodded grabbing a couple of books. She was used to her dad and uncle having private talks with their teammates about cases. “Sure. I haven’t read a couple of the books that Aunt Kono left me. Tell Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono I said hello.” 

Steve spoke to her as he put the phone to his face. “I will. Grace says hi. Chin, I’m going to put you on speaker so that we can talk. Is Kono there?”

_“Right here boss.”_

Steve and Danny moved so they were in front of the laptop. “Kono, Grace says hi to you too. When can Sid and Mr. Kalakaua get here?”

_Kono answered. “I talked to them this morning and they can be there in half an hour.”_

Steve looked at Danny for his opinion as he outlined his plan. “I’m thinking that you should arrest the brothers. HPD and the DEA can start the search once you have them in custody; I don’t want to spook them into leaving. Once they’re at HQ, we can let them cool their heels for a short time, while you smuggle us into HQ. I don’t want the Camerons to have too much time or they might bully their way out of lock up before we question them. I think that our miraculous return from the ‘dead’ should rattle them quite a bit.”

Danny tilted his head. “I agree. Everything we have on them says that they have good lawyers who would push for their release if we wait too long to question them. I think Steve’s right in having the search done while we interrogate them.”

_“Sounds like a plan. Kono will call Sid and him and her father should be there soon. By the time you get back to HQ, we should have the brother’s sitting in an interrogation room.” Chin replied._

“We’ll see you in a couple of hours then. Good luck and be careful. Hopefully they won’t suspect a thing.” 

“Take plenty of back up just in case.” Danny added.

_“We will. See you later.”_

Steve placed the phone on the coffee table after hanging it up. “Well, if everything goes well, we will be able to go home tonight. Why don’t you tell Grace about our visitors and I’ll get all of this information ready to take with us.”

Danny nodded as he rose and headed for Graces room.

  
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Chin and Kono had made arrangements with the DEA, and HPD’s vice squad to work together. Captain Kahale of HPD’s vice squad, his men and the DEA would be responsible for searching the offices and other properties as well as questioning employees of interest. Five-0 would be responsible for questioning the Cameron brothers. By hitting the different properties at the same time, they hoped that this would keep any merchandise and incriminating files from being destroyed.

Chin strode up to the receptionist showing his ID and the search and arrest warrants, asking where he could find the brothers. She nervously pointed them towards a conference room, they were in a meeting. Two officers stayed behind to keep her from calling the brothers or doing anything else. Chin and Kono had their weapons ready just in case when an officer opened the door for them. Chin went left and Kono right when they entered the room and were followed by two more officers.

One of the brothers stood up asking angrily. “What is the meaning of this? We are in a very important meeting!”

Chin looked at the young man impassively. “We’re with Hawaii Five-0 and you and your brother are under arrest for drug trafficking and murder.”

The other brother stood up. “You can’t do this! We have done nothing wrong!” The others in the office were watching the action avidly.

Kono stepped forward. “We can. We have arrest warrants for both of you. We also have warrants to search all of your properties, both business and personal. Please put your hands behind your head, both of you.”

One of the brothers looked at the man sitting down next to him. “Dave, call our lawyer. This is all a big misunderstanding and we’ll be back by this afternoon so have this meeting rescheduled for tomorrow.”

Chin held up his hand. “You may call the lawyer sir, but you and the other employees will have to close for the day while HPD conducts its search. Some of the officers will be asking questions of you and other employees before sending them home.”

The man called Dave gaped at Chin. “You can’t do that. We have a business to run; you just can’t come in here and shut us down!” 

Chin shrugged. “The warrant says otherwise. It’s standard policy; we can’t allow anyone to interfere with a search warrant.” Chin cuffed the brother closest to him, and Kono did the same with the other brother. They handed off their charges to the two officers that had entered with them so that they could take the brothers to the Palace.

Chin met briefly with Captain Kahale while Kono followed the brothers to the squad car providing back up. The brothers were taken in two different squad cars for added security.

Chin met Kono at her car. “Kahale heard from our other raiding parties, we have been successful in catching all of the employees off guard here as well as at their warehouse. Hopefully we’ll find what we need to put these two away for a very long time.”

Kono nodded. “Fo’ shua!”

Chin’s phone rang as he was getting in the car. “Detective Kelly.”

_“Detective Kelly this is Lieutenant Hale of the State Police. I understand that you are looking into the crash of Lieutenant Commander McGarrett’s chopper?”_

“I am. Did you find something Lieutenant?” Chin asked looking at Kono.

_“Yes. One of the mechanics, a Jack Pare, at Kauai Air Tours was acting nervous. We discovered that he has worked at the Air Tours for only three weeks. So we checked his financials as we brought him in for questioning.”_

Chin closed his eyes as he asked. “Did you get anything from him?”

_“Yes we did. He didn’t last long in questioning. He admitted to planting two devices on Commander McGarrett’s chopper. The first was rigged to activate when a remote signal was given over the radio. The second devise was an explosive that was rigged to blow within minutes of the chopper hitting the ground. Evidently he took the job with Kauai Air Tours on the orders of his supposedly previous employer, Cameron Enterprises. A quick check of the name shows that the DEA has had an interest in them when their corporate offices were located in LA.”_

Chin sighed. “Did he give you the name of the person who gave him the order to plant the device?”

_“Yes. Lloyd Cameron gave the order to plant the device. That is all that the mechanic knows, or at least is admitting to knowing at this time.”_

“Thank you for the information Lieutenant Hale. We already suspected the Cameron brothers of sabotaging the chopper based on the information we gathered about their MO in LA. Can you contact Captain Kahale from our vice squad to make arrangements to have Mr. Pare brought to Oahu so that he can testify against Lloyd Cameron? Please keep him safe and secure. If we are right about the Cameron brothers, they are ruthless and have killed several police officers in LA too.”

_“Don’t worry Detective Kelly. Mr. Pare isn’t going to get away from us. Good luck in your continuing investigation Detective.”_

“Thank you Lieutenant. Keep in touch.” Chin hung up and relayed the conversation to Kono as they headed to HQ.

Once they reached HQ, they checked to see that the brothers were cooling their heels in separate rooms. The officers had stuck paper with the brother’s names on the doors based on the IDs they were carrying.

Chin and Kono entered his office and shut the door. Chin grabbed his phone and called Steve. “We’re ready when you are brah.” He hung up and headed to the garage to escort his “dead” teammates into HQ while Kono arranged a few guards to keep people out of the Five-0 offices and interrogation area until they were ready to reveal that Danny and Steve were alive.

Kono was at the Smart Table pulling up the information they had on the brothers so they could discuss strategy. Chin had filled Steve and Danny on the information from the state Police on the way from the garage.

Steve looked at Chin. “Were you able to verify the witness’s identification of Lloyd Cameron?”

Chin nodded as he used the Smart Table to display the brothers in a split screen. He pointed to the one on the left. “That is Lloyd Cameron, he has swirl in his hair at his right temple. Liam doesn’t have one. You do have to be looking for it to see it.”

Steve nodded thoughtfully. “Good catch on the hair Chin, they won’t be able to try and pretend to be the other twin.”

Chin’s phone rang. “Detective Kelly”

_“Kelly, this is Captain Kahale. The DEA search team found several kilos of heroin in the Camerons’ warehouse. Two of the employees have already rolled on both Lloyd and Liam Cameron as the brains behind the operation.”_

Chin whistled. “Thanks for the information Captain. I think this will help when we interrogate the brothers. Keep me posted.”

_“Nail the bastards Kelly.”_

Danny asked what the others were thinking. “Some good news?”

“Oh yeah. The DEA has found several kilos of smack at the brothers’ warehouses. Two of the employees there have rolled on both Lloyd and Liam already, afraid of being eliminated I think.”

Steve smirked with a gleam in his eyes.

Danny looked at Steve warily. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Steve’s smirk increased. “Oh, just a little payback for our, would be killers.”

“This is where I normally try to talk you out of one of your crazy plans. Unfortunately for the brothers they tried to kill Grace. So, what are we going to do?”

Steve outlined his plan to interrogate each brother, and then waited for his team’s reaction, Danny’s in particular. Danny stared at Steve for a few minutes. What Steve was proposing was cruel, and genius at the same time. Steve wanted to scare the suspects’ silly, without actually hurting them. 

“We should get going. It will take a few minutes to set up your plan." 

A flash of relief crossed Steve’s face as he smiled. Danny didn’t harangue him for his unorthodox interrogation method. The Cameron brothers didn’t know what they were getting themselves into when they tried to kill Grace. In this instance, Danny is a father first, cop second. “Let’s get to it. I want to get at these two before the lawyers show up. Danny and I will take our buddy Lloyd since he is responsible for ordering the hit. Chin and Kono will take Liam making the questioning go faster.” Lloyd was sitting in an empty room except for the chair to which he had been handcuffed. Where was his blasted lawyer? He should have been out of here by now. It never occurred to him that he had picked the wrong people to cross this time. The door opened, finally, he thinks his lawyer is here only to see the two cops who had arrested him enter with, what was that? A metal tub? Wait, it looked like it was filled with water. The cops left before he could ask. They came back in with what looked like a car battery and some wires and some weights.

“What the hell is going on here? Where’s my lawyer? I have rights.” His questions remained unanswered as the cops went about their business as if he wasn’t even in the room.

Chin looked at Lloyd when he and Kono had finished. “You picked the wrong people to mess with Lloyd Cameron.” Kono was looking at Lloyd with disgust.

“I’m not Lloyd, I’m Liam. You cops are all the same, can’t tell the difference between us.” Lloyd sneered.

“Oh, you’re Lloyd alright. You have an unmistakable swirl of hair just above your right temple. I believe some people call it a cow-lick. Most people hate them, because the hair goes in the direction of the swirl no matter what is done with it. Liam doesn’t have a cow-lick. Tough luck Lloyd.” Chin opened the door turning back to a shocked Lloyd smirking. “We’ll be right back.”

Chin and Kono snickered once the door was shut.

“I take it that Lloyd Cameron is a little freaked out?” Asked Danny.

Kono laughed. “You should have seen his face when Chin proved that some cops are very observant, and that he has a small cow-lick and Liam doesn’t.”

Steve and Danny smiled before becoming serious. “Ready partner?”

Danny rubbed his hands together. “Definitely ready to take this guy.”

Steve smiled wickedly as he fixed the lights in the interrogation room to shine in Lloyd’s eyes. “Chin would you do the honors of opening the door. Then you and Kono can interrogate Liam.”

Chin smirked. Lloyd and Liam were going to regret coming after Five-0. 

Steve and Danny walked into the darkened room watching Lloyd try and see who was entering. “C’mon cops, where’s my lawyer? I want to make my phone call.”

Steve hit the switch to allow Lloyd to see the partners. 

As Lloyd was blinking the spots out of his eyes Danny spoke to Steve. “This bozo doesn’t act much like someone who runs a legitimate business, does he?”

“Nope, sounds more like someone who has had a run in with the police before.” Steve responded.

Lloyd sucked in a shocked breath when he recognized the two men in front of him. These two were supposed to be dead! It had been all over the news that his plan had been successful and that their chopper was so much burned metal. 

“I do believe he’s recognized us Danny.”

“I have to agree with you Steve. Surprised to see us Lloyd? After all, you arranged to have our helicopter sabotaged in the hopes that we would be killed. I bet you’re wondering how we survived, aren’t you?” 

Lloyd tried to recover his equilibrium. “I…uh…I heard about an accident on the news.”

Steve and Danny looked at each other, knowing that they had the man. Steve asked for clarification. “You heard about our death on the news?”

Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, it’s been all over the news that your chopper crashed two days ago.”

“You do realize that our names have not been released right? The police prefer to notify the families personally if a family member is missing and presumed dead before releasing the names to the media. My sister is very difficult to get a hold of, and much of Danny’s family is in New Jersey. Can you explain how you know it was Danny and I that should have died in that chopper if our names haven’t been released yet?”

Lloyd decided to clam up at that point, though he was starting to sweat. That suited Steve just fine. He wanted a chance to play with the bastard. 

Danny spoke before they could get started. He wanted the man to know why his attempt to kill him and Steve had failed. “Getting back to my question, I know you’re wondering how Steve and I survived the helicopter crash. That would be because of Steve. I may firmly believe that he can be crazy at times because he likes to take insane risks and drags me along with him. However, I have never doubted his skills as a SEAL, or his dedication to protect those around him, _especially_ my daughter. He made a controlled crash; I believe is the term, allowing the three of us to survive it relatively unharmed. Then he made sure we got out and away from the chopper immediately. We weren’t in it when it blew because of this man.” Danny pointed at Steve.

A clearly embarrassed Steve cleared his throat. “Are you ready to get this show on the road Danny?”

“Ready. Let’s get set up.” Danny and Steve began to set up the interrogation equipment. The two men worked quietly while watching as Lloyd becomes increasingly nervous. It brought both men some satisfaction but not enough yet.

Lloyd’s put up a fuss when Danny was tying his legs together and attaching weights to his ankles. Lloyd stopped with a gulp when Steve turned to glare at him. One of his associates had warned him not to cross Five-0, and in particular McGarrett, but he ignored the advice figuring by killing McGarrett and Williams he wouldn’t need to worry. It had worked in LA. He willfully forgot that he and his brother were forced to move to Hawaii because the DEA were after them. Instead of killing them, he brought them right to his doorstep so to speak. He came back to reality when Williams lifted his legs so they were perched over the bucket of water. He noticed that the bucket now had a wire placed in the water. He followed the path of the wire to the battery that had been brought in the room.

Steve smirked at Lloyd when he noticed the man looking at the battery. “I bet you’re wondering what this is Mr. Cameron. Before I tell you all about this tub, I’m going to tell you how you ended up here. You made some critical mistakes when you moved to Hawaii. Your first mistake was to try and kill my partner and myself. Your second mistake was to warn me that the chopper was sabotaged allowing me time to bring it closer to the ground before the engine cut out. The warning allowed me time to prepare for a controlled crash. Your third mistake was in underestimating my people and their skills. However, your biggest mistake was trying to kill Danny and me while we were with Grace. Nobody hurts my niece and gets away with it.” 

Lloyd looked at the cold eyes of McGarrett and nearly wet his pants. He thought of himself as a tough guy, after all he had killed several people without blinking an eye. Now he knew that he had more than met his match. He watched McGarrett’s smirk grow as if he knew that Lloyd was scared spitless. 

“Getting back to the bucket, in my time as a SEAL, I learned some very interesting techniques of interrogation. This is one of my favorites, simple yet so very effective. The battery provides an electrical current controlled by this knob.” Steve pointed at a specific knob. “The key here is the water, which increases the shock to you. Now, since you let us know that the chopper we were in was going to crash, I felt that I should give you a chance to avoid being shocked. Therefore, if you can keep your feet from touching the water in the tub, you won’t get shocked.” Steve shrugged unconcernedly as Danny released Lloyd’s legs.

Lloyd finally found his voice and practically squealed. “You can’t do this! I have rights. This is torture, not interrogation! This is against the law!”

“The governor gave us means and immunity, so I’m afraid that I can do this.” Steve then looked at Danny. “You know, this makes me admire Grace even more than I did.”

“How so?” Danny asked.

“Grace handled the chopper crash and two day hike with more courage and dignity than this jerk and she’s eight. She’s definitely your daughter Danny.” 

Danny beamed with pride for his daughter, and was touched by Steve’s compliment for himself. Steve didn’t hand out praise willy nilly like some people did. It just wasn’t his style. “Grace did it with your help. You kept her busy, talked with her and made the hike seem like it was for recreation instead of being for her protection.” He wasn’t going to let Steve downplay his role even if it stroked his already healthy ego. “She’ll probably be asking to go on another hike to see your graffiti.”

Steve rolled his eyes even as he smiled. “They’re petro glyphs Danny, not graffiti and I’d be happy to take her to see them.” Even though it appeared that Danny and Steve were ignoring Lloyd and his whining, they had been watching him. The man was a wuss. His feet were almost touching the water. It wasn’t like they had used real heavy weights; the total weight was two pounds. Steve was a little disappointed; they used the lighter weights so that Lloyd would hopefully last awhile. Even though there wasn’t any current in the water, he wanted Lloyd to sweat thinking there was a chance that he would be shocked.

Before the partners could continue their banter Lloyd began whimpering barely keeping control of his bladder before getting enough control to speak. “Alright, alright, I arranged to have your chopper sabotaged! I’d heard that you would be bad for business and decided that getting rid of you would keep your task force from interfering with our business. Now get this bucket away from me!”

Steve smiled. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Danny snorted. “Do you want to do the honors Danny?”

“Absolutely.” Danny walked up to Lloyd and stuck his hand in the water as he pulled the tub away. 

Lloyd stared at Danny then at Steve. Steve’s eyebrow quirked at the stare. “Did you really think that we would electrocute you? It’s just too messy and the paperwork’s a pain. Besides, I really don’t want to listen to Danny bitch about proper police procedure and interrogation techniques for the next five years over a waste of space like you.”

Danny looked affronted. “I do not bitch. I merely point out the many times you disregard police procedure in favor of your usual attitude of whatever works is the way to go.”

Steve headed for the door, Danny right beside him. “Bitch, bitch, bitch. If I wanted to know police procedure I would read the manual.”

“If you did read it _and_ followed it, I wouldn’t have to….” The door shut and Lloyd heard no more. 

Outside the room Danny and Steve looked at each other and burst out laughing. They had to lean against the wall for support after a short time of laughter. 

Steve drew in a deep breath before speaking. “I think he actually started crying. Did you see the look on his face when you stuck your hand in the water Danny?” Steve wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

“I thought he was going to piss his pants when you glared at him for struggling while I was tying the weights to his legs. I’m so glad he didn’t, because that is just disgusting.” Danny wheezed, out of breath from laughing. 

Steve draped an arm over Danny’s shoulder leading him to Five-0’s main room as they continued to laugh. The men needed the support of the other to remain standing.

Steve and Danny found Chin and Kono leaning on the Smart Table for support as they laughed about Liam’s reaction to the interrogation.

“So how did your interrogation go?” Steve asked the cousins.

Kono couldn’t answer as she laughed even harder at Steve’s question.

Chin gained enough control to reply. “There was no interrogation. Liam fainted when I explained what the battery was for.”

Danny and Steve stared at Chin for a moment before stumbling to the nearest chairs to collapse almost missing the seats because of their laughing. Steve gathered himself enough to tell the cousins what happened with Lloyd with Danny’s help. Chin and Kono had to sit down after hearing about Lloyd. Once the four of them had calmed down, they discussed how Steve, Danny and Grace were going to come back from the dead. Once it was decided that Steve and Danny would reveal themselves the next day to a few select members of the press, Chin smuggled them out of HQ so they could get back to Grace.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done. One last chapter to wrap things up.
> 
> Almost forgot. Sometimes I can’t find the exact word I want in Hawaiian so I look for something as close as I can get. To those who do speak Pidgin/Hawaiian, if I have used the wrong word or order for words, please let me know so that I can correct it. After studying French for a few years I’m aware that you can’t always translate English word for word because grammar in a foreign language (foreign to me) is often very different than English.


	10. ‘Olelo Ho’oholo Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here we are at the end of the story. Let's see how everyone reacts to Steve, Danny, and Grace's return from the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

The next morning, Steve and Danny were sitting at the small table discussing the upcoming press conference being held at HQ.

“Are you going to tell the press…” Danny stopped midsentence when he realized his parents would have been told he and Grace were missing and presumed dead. He had been so worried about Grace’s safety he didn’t think of what his family was probably going through.

Steve looked up when Danny paused to see a horrified look on his face. Alarmed Steve asked. “What’s wrong Danny?” 

Danny turned wide worried eyes to Steve. “My parents will have been told that Grace and I are missing and presumed dead. How do I do I tell them that we’re okay. They’ll probably understand but…”

Steve reached out placing a warm hand on Danny’s forearm interrupting Danny. “Danny, you’re parents know that you’re alive. I called a friend of mine who is stationed near your parents and told him the whole story while you were in the shower yesterday. He promised to speak to your parents personally and to tell them that you would call them as soon as we had this mess cleared up. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you. Grace asked me a question right after I hung up and it slipped my mind. I did the same for Mary.”

Danny slumped. He wanted to be angry at Steve for not telling him about the call, but he was too grateful that Steve had cared enough to let his parents know they were safe. “Thanks Steve. I’ll call them as soon as we’re done with the press. Now all I have to worry about is Rachel and what she’ll do when she finds out.”

Steve pulled out his burner phone and dialed. “Hey Chin. I need you to do a couple of things before we get together with the press. I’m thinking that you should talk to Stan privately and tell him what’s going on so that he can decide what to do about Rachel. Also, could you see if Bill Houseman can be at HQ this morning for our press conference?”

_Sure thing brah. I’ll see the two of you in two hours.”_

Steve hung up the phone. “I think that should help.”

Danny shook his head smiling. It was moments like this that Danny was reminded why Steve was a Lieutenant Commander “Thank you Steve. You’re the best brother a guy could have.” 

Steve ducked his head before looking at Danny with a fond smile. “So are you Danno.”

Their mushy moment was thankfully interrupted when Grace came skipping out of her room. “Good morning Danno, ‘Anakala Steve.” Grace hugged each man. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Would you like some pancakes Leia? We have everything we need for them.” Steve asked.

“Can I help ‘Anakala?” Grace asked eagerly. She loved pancakes.

Smiling, Steve stood up holding out his hand. “Of course you can. I’ll show you how my mom used to make them. Don’t worry Danny, there is no pineapple involved.” Steve smirked while Grace giggled when Danny rolled his eyes.

“Just get cracking. I’m hungry.”

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Two hours later Chin again smuggled Steve and Danny into HQ. They had left Grace with Mr. and Mrs. Kalakaua while they dealt with the press, and the State Police. Both Steve and Danny wore dress pants, and shirts, Steve still refused to wear a tie just to get a rise out of Danny. 

The two men waited right outside the conference room. Kono had closed the blinds so that their guests couldn’t see outside the room.

Chin nodded at Kono and Governor Jameson as he entered HQ’s conference room which was full of those invited. “Good morning everyone. Thank you for taking time to be here this morning. As you are all aware a helicopter crashed on Kauai’s Napali Coast. Though the names of the victims have not been released, there have been rumors that the chopper carried Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams and his daughter Grace Williams. For once the rumors are correct; it did carry the three of them. Though, I am happy to report that due to Commander McGarrett’s skill as a pilot they were not killed in the crash.” Shocked gasps greeted Chin’s news. The State Police began to glower at Chin who stared back impassively. “They wish to tell you the story, but I will say this, the chopper had been sabotaged and McGarrett and Williams decided it was prudent to stay dead for a short time in order to protect Grace Williams.” 

Steve and Danny walked into the room as Chin finished. They were greeted by a babble of questions. Steve and Danny simultaneously crossed their arms over their chests and glared at the babbling group. The dual intimidating poses caused the group to become quiet.

Steve nodded in satisfaction when it was quiet. “Detective Williams and I will tell you what happened at Kauai. We will not share every detail of our ordeal as it is none of your business. We will not tell you the names of the people who helped us in order to protect them. We will answer questions that are not of a personal nature when we are finished. If we choose not to answer a question, you will respect our choice or you will never be allowed to cover any future Five-0 stories. If you have a problem with that, the door is right behind me. Have I made myself clear?”

Danny smirked at the frantic nods Steve received. It was moments like this that he really loved having a badass for a partner.

The two men sat down and told their story with input from Chin and Kono. They left out what they considered personal. They let Chin and Kono tell the reporters the basics of the investigation they conducted into who could be responsible for the crash.

When the teammates were finished with their story most of the people in the room were impressed. One brave reporter raised her hand. Steve recognized her.

“Yes, Ms. Iona?”

Ms. Iona cleared her throat. “Did you find it a difficult trip to the coast considering you were travelling with an eight year old?”

Steve looked at Danny to see if he would allow the question. Danny nodded, he was proud of how well his daughter handled the ordeal. He also knew that Steve wouldn’t give a lot of details about Grace. “No it wasn’t difficult at all. Grace Williams is a remarkable girl and is very brave. She gets that from her father.”

“Detective Williams, do you think this incident will keep you from taking your daughter on any other trips. After all, this must have been a nightmare for a good father like you.” Ms. Iona asked.

“No, this won’t keep us from taking trips in the future. If it did, the bad guys win and I won’t allow that to happen. Keeping Grace from living would hurt her, not protect her.”

There were a few questions about the case before Steve called a halt to the meeting. “Thank you for coming today and recording our story. Officer Kalakaua will see you out. Can you stick around Bill?” Steve asked his friend.

“Sure. I’ll wait in your office. Maybe you’ll tell me the whole story.” Bill left Steve, Danny and Chin with the State Police and Governor Jameson.

Lieutenant Wong of the State Police spoke. “Do you know how many hours we have wasted looking for your bodies McGarrett? We could have been concentrating on the chopper instead of you.”

Steve stood up slowly, looking like a cat getting ready to pounce, scowling at Lieutenant Wong and spoke in a cold dangerous voice. “That is Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Navy SEAL and leader of the Governor’s task force to you. Let me see if I understand your complaint correctly. You're suggesting that I should have let the world know we survived so that we didn’t inconvenience your people? It seems you didn’t understand the important part of our story. Someone tried to kill us. If Cameron had not been stupid enough to warn me, the crash would have been much worse for us, and we might not have been able to get out of the chopper before it _blew up_.” By now Steve was looming over the Police Lieutenant. “At the time I didn’t know who was responsible for the sabotage, or how extensive his information network was, so my top priority became protecting Grace, an eight year old girl whom I consider ohana. The best way to protect her was for the saboteur to think the attack was successful and we died in the crash. I will not apologize to you for my actions Lieutenant. Since your men can’t handle searching for bodies and a reason for the crash when processing a scene you should consider finding people who can.” Steve stalked out of the conference room before he hit the man.

Danny pointed at Lieutenant Wong. “You are a petty man. Everything my partner did from the point where the chopper lost power was to protect my little girl. How dare you stand there and presume that some extra man hours is more important than the life of _my daughter_. Where is your sense of duty? Part of a police officer’s job is the protection of innocents. Who is more innocent than an eight year old child? You disgust me. You should consider a different line of work since your priorities are completely screwed up.” Danny stalked out of the room for the same reason as Steve.

Governor Jameson glared at Lieutenant Wong after Danny stormed out. “I would also like an explanation why your people seem to have trouble with processing a scene. Detective Williams may be right and you should either choose another career or find something that suits you better with the State Police. I expect a full report of the actions taken at the crash site by tomorrow Lieutenant Wong. Are we clear?”

“Yes ma’am.” Lieutenant Wong left knowing he had screwed up and would probably be put in charge of supplies. He should have kept his mouth shut. 

Bill and Stan were waiting in Steve’s office for the partners. Bill raised his eyebrows at Steve’s dark continence. Stan wondered if he should have stayed home.

Steve took a deep breath to get his equilibrium back before moving to shake each man’s hand. “Thanks for coming today Bill, Stan.”

Bill smiled in acknowledgement. 

“I wanted to see for myself that you and Danny are indeed okay Steve.” Stan said as he shook Steve’s hand.

“We’re fine thank you Stan. The three of us sustained minor injuries, mostly bruises and a few scrapes. We were very lucky I was able to get the chopper as close to a small clearing as I did before the power was cut. We didn’t have as far to fall, and avoided hitting any of the big trees.”

Danny joined the three men in Steve’s office. He had taken a couple of minutes to regain some control before entering. He too shook Bill and Stan’s hands before sitting down. “Don’t let Steve fool you, his expertise as a pilot played a big part in our survival.” Danny sighed, he really didn’t want to talk about Grace’s custody or if Rachel will renew her efforts to gain full custody of Grace. “I really don’t want to bring this up, but how will what happened on Kauai affect custody of Grace?”

Stan spoke before Bill could. “I don’t know how it could affect you legally Danny, but I will not help Rachel try and take custody away from you again. Sadly, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Rachel has been admitted to the hospital for a nervous breakdown. The doctors don’t know how long she’ll need to be there. Finding out the three of you are alive could make things worse.”

Danny stared at Stan. “I’m sorry to hear that Stan. I’m still angry with her over the court case, but I certainly didn’t want anything like that to happen to her. I just wanted to be able to see my daughter.”

Stan smiled sadly. “I know that Danny. The doctor’s say that they believe that this has been coming for awhile, it just needed something to trigger it. It could have been anything, it just happened to be hearing that Grace may be dead that pushed her over the edge. The doctors are confident that with time she will recover and be able to live a normal life. When the doctors think she’s up to it, it would be nice if Grace could see her. Not something we have to discuss now, just think about it Danny, that’s all I ask.”

Danny nodded. “I don’t have to think about it Stan. Rachel is Grace’s mother and she loves her mom. I never planned on keeping Grace from seeing Rachel, this won’t change anything. Let me know how she is doing and when the doctors okay a visit. My only condition is that she would be supervised per the court ruling.”

Stan stood shaking Danny’s hand gratefully. “I have no issue with that condition Danny. Frankly I would have suggested it if you hadn’t. It may be a mute point right now. Based on Rachel’s mental health, Grace may not be allowed to see her mother at all for a time. I’m going to go to the hospital to let the doctors know about your survival. They’ll have to be involved in telling Rachel what happened.”

“Take care of yourself Stan. Don’t forget, you’re always welcome to see Grace. Just remember to call first as you have been.” Steve offered rising to shake Stan’s hand as well.

“Thank you Steve. Good day gentlemen.” Stan left the office quietly.

Bill watched Steve and Danny as they sat down. “May I also say that I’m glad that you guys are okay? I’m guessing you asked me here so that we would be prepared in the event that Rachel tried to gain custody again.” 

“I did Bill. What happened on Kauai is a perfect example of what Rachel feared. Someone targeted Danny and me, and Grace was collateral damage.” Bill nodded thoughtfully. “After listening to Stan, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I will take the precaution of contacting the court about Rachel’s new status. Don’t worry, I won’t give them any details, just that she has been hospitalized and request that the court look into how it may affect your custody. I’m sure Stan is expecting something like that to happen. He’s a smart man.”

Danny slumped in his seat in relief. “Thank you Bill. Rachel’s reaction was in the back of my mind during the whole ordeal.”

Bill smiled understandingly as he stood up. “I understand Danny. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of it. Now I do have to get going. I have a meeting in half an hour. Take care of yourselves and I’ll let you know anything I learn.” Steve and Danny shook hands with Bill before he left the office.

Steve looked at Danny. “What do you say we pick up Grace and go home? I think we deserve some steaks and Longboards don’t you?”

Danny stood up. “Absolutely. Wait a minute, what are we going to do about our stuff still on Kauai?”

Steve smirked. “I’ll have the State Police pick it up and return it to us. I’m sure the Governor will help persuade them.”

Danny nodded smirking. “Payback’s a bitch.” 

The partners chuckled as they left the office. Steve let Chin know where they were going. They would come back tomorrow to deal with the paperwork. He also invited Chin and Kono to their house the next night for a team celebration.

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Later that day, Steve and Danny sat on the Adirondack chairs relaxing as they watched Grace build a sandcastle. 

Grace seemed to be her usual happy self, but Danny was worried. He wondered if she had truly dealt with the ordeal since they had been on the go for several days.

“Stop.” Danny looked at Steve confused. “You’re worrying too much Danny. My mom used to say that when you worry, you are looking to borrow trouble. Grace is fine, she is koa. If she does have any residual problems we’ll be there for her. If she needs it we’ll make sure she gets counseling, but I don’t think she will.”

Danny stared at Steve shocked that he knew what Danny had been thinking. He sighed. “I know you’re right, I just want her to have a happy childhood without the drama.”

Steve reached out placing his hand on Danny’s arm stopping his words. “Danny, you are giving Grace a happy childhood. So, it’s not perfect, she would get bored with perfect. So would you. You love her and put her first. No one could ask for more. Never doubt that you’re a great dad Danny and she is one very lucky girl.” Steve released Danny’s arm after giving it a brief squeeze as he finished.

Danny was touched. Steve had been opening up more since the three of them started living together, but Steve could still surprise him. He looked away and sniffed. “Thanks. I-ah-want you to know that you are a great uncle to Grace.”

“Mahalo. Why don’t we go and help Grace build her sandcastle, make it a family project. We could spend some time swimming too.” It was time to move away from the heavy emotions for Steve. He can only open up so much at a time.

Danny smiled. “Sounds like a great idea to me partner. Let’s go.”

The two men ambled to where Grace was working and asked if they could help. The smile they received was all the answer they needed. The slightly unorthodox family spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between swimming, read splashing each other and making a beautiful sandcastle.  
  
 **PAU**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some more stories that belong in this universe which definitely can be considered AU. I will work on posting the remaining stories over time.

**Author's Note:**

> ‘Anakala: uncle  
> Kay Den: All right
> 
> A/N: I did check the map of the Napali Coast, but I’m sure that some of my descriptions are off. There are some cliffs, a canyon and lots of wild country to be found. Reading about Kauai has made me want to go there myself sometime. 
> 
> A/N: This story is unbetaed, all mistakes are mine. Let me know if there is anything drastic that I missed so that I may correct them. Like the other three stories in this verses, this is posted on FFdotnet.


End file.
